Health Information Use by Resident Doctors in Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja, Lagos State, Nigeria

Abstract

The study interrogates health information use by resident doctors in Lagos State University Teaching hospital (LASUTH), Lagos State. Health information has been variously described as the “foundation” for better health, as the “glue” holding the health systems together and as the “oil” keeping the health systems running. It is important for making the right clinical decisions and enhancing professionalism. A survey research design was adopted by the study and the enumeration technique was used to cover all 115 resident doctors that constituted the population. Out of the 115 questionnaire copies administered, 94 copies were returned for data analysis, making the response rate to be 81.7%. The data collected were analyzed using frequency counts and percentages. Findings revealed that the majority of resident doctors in LASUTH have access and use, to a large extent, health information for clinical decision-making. It is, however, recommended that to improve on health information sharing, workshops and seminars on health information should be regularly conducted for resident doctors in LASUTH. This, expectedly, will expose them to new health information trends that will enhance their clinical experience.

Keywords: Health Information, Information Use, Resident Doctors, Clinical Decision-making