Contributing for the improvement of the quality of information in health: a comparative analysis of the trustworthiness of unhealthiness data by SIGAB, generated from two processes of codification

Background: Health information is essential for hospital management. The  Department of Medical Records and Health Information (DMRHI) must be well organized in order to improve the quality of care delivered  and the efficiency in healthcare facilities.
Objectives: The aims of this study were to evaluate the Health Information System of  a teaching hospital located in Niterói (a city in Brazil) with regards to the production and dissemination of health information and to describe the process of  reorganization of the information system.
Methods: Face to face interviews were conducted with the staff (health information technicians and managers) of the DMRHI and the clinical staff. Questionnaires with open and close questions were applied.
Results: The main problems identified were: (1) the existence of multiple independent information systems presenting redundant fields and  fragmented outputs (reports); (2) a lack of organization regarding the  work process of the DMRHI’s staff. In order to overcome the problems mentioned above a series of actions were implemented, as follows: (1) training of the DMRHI’s staff; (2) redistribution of the DMRHI’s staff’s duties; (3) developing strategies in order to achieve the linkage of the different  information systems.
Conclusions: The collaboration between the  clinical and DMRHI’s  staff  was essential for the  success of the ongoing process of reorganization of the hospital’s information system.