Effect of digitization of medical case files on doctor patient relationship in an Out Patient Department setting of Northern India: A comparative study

• Published in: Indian journal of community health Vol. 34; no. 4; pp. 477 - 482
• Main Authors: Gandhi P, Aravind, Goel, Kapil, Gupta, Madhu, Singh, Amarjeet
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 31.12.2022
• ISSN: 0971-7587; 2248-9509
• DOI: 10.47203/IJCH.2022.v34i04.005

Background: Digitization of health records and health delivery processes in health care settings may have an impact on the Patient-Physician communication, wait times, that affect the overall patient satisfaction with the health care services. Aim & Objective: We ascertained the effect of digitization of medical case files on the doctor patient relationship (DPR) domain of patient satisfaction at an urban primary health center in India. Settings and Design: Comparative, cross-sectional study in primary health centres. Methods and Material: The patient satisfaction was compared between the patients attending the Public Health Dispensary (PHD) that uses digitized medical case file system and a Civil Dispensary (CD) which follows the conventional paper based medical records, using a Patient Satisfaction Questionnaire (PSQ). Statistical analysis used: Univariate analysis was done by chi-square test and adjusted analysis was done by multiple linear regression. Results: Patient satisfaction in DPR was found to be same between the digitized medical case files based and conventional OPD (p=0.453). Significantly higher overall patient satisfaction was reported in the conventional paper based OPD than the digitized OPD (p<0.001). Conclusions: Patient satisfaction towards the doctor-patient relationship (DPR) was same between paper based OPD and the digitized medical case files based OPD.