The Ghana Health Information Management Association (GHIMA) has warned against the use of unqualified and unlicensed personnel in managing health information in healthcare facilities.

The group says the practice threatens patient safety, the quality of healthcare delivery and the effective implementation of government health policies.

The Association says the situation could compromise the accuracy, reliability and timely availability of health data required for clinical decision-making, monitoring healthcare interventions and assessing the effectiveness of government-funded programmes.

President of GHIMA, Richard Delali Ahedor, led a press conference to address concerns over professional standards and licensing requirements in Health Information Management (HIM) practice.

The Association cited the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), which mandates the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) to regulate, accredit and license allied health professionals, including Health Information Management practitioners.

“Under the Health Professions Regulatory Bodies Act, 2013 (Act 857), the Allied Health Professions Council (AHPC) regulates, accredits, and licenses allied health professional practices in Ghana, including our profession (Health Information Management). GHIMA wishes to remind stakeholders that a valid AHPC license is legally required to practice Health Information Management in Ghana.”

GHIMA stressed that health information management functions must be performed by qualified and licensed professionals to safeguard the integrity of health data and support effective clinical and policy decisions.

“Clinical decisions, health policy, and patient safety depend on accurate health data. HIM functions must, therefore, be performed by practitioners who hold a recognised HIM qualification and a valid AHPC license,” said Mr Ahedor.

The Association is urging heads of healthcare facilities and other stakeholders to assign health information management responsibilities to qualified and licensed professionals and support continuous professional development to maintain professional standards.

It has also encouraged Health Information Management graduates and practitioners who are yet to obtain certification or licensing to register with the AHPC and complete the required licensing examinations.

GHIMA further appealed to the government and healthcare agencies to prioritise the employment and deployment of licensed health information professionals across all levels of healthcare, particularly as the country expands access to healthcare services.

The Association says strengthening the profession is critical to generating credible and timely health data to evaluate government policies and guide evidence-based decisions, including the implementation of the Free Primary Healthcare initiative.

The maiden General Meeting of GHIMA’s Ashanti Regional Chapter highlighted the shortage of health information officers in some healthcare facilities and the potential implications for health data quality and service delivery.

General Secretary of GHIMA, James Amewudah, called on the government to address the situation, warning that the absence of qualified professionals handling health records could undermine the monitoring and evaluation of major healthcare initiatives, including Mahama Care and Free Healthcare.

He said accurate health data was essential to determine whether resources invested in such programmes were achieving their intended objectives.

“We recognise that all the initiatives that are being run now, for instance, the Mahama Care, free healthcare, they all need to be evaluated and monitored. If we don’t do monitoring and evaluation, resources that are pumped into these initiatives won’t be known if they’ve achieved their purpose or goal or not."

"We need to get the professionals working on the data on health records in order to see if the policies are achieving their purpose,” he said.