Design of an Automated Patient Record System for Primary Healthcare Centres in Enugu North LGA

The management of patient health records at primary healthcare centres (PHCs) in Nigeria remains predominantly paper-based, resulting in lost files, duplication of patient records, delayed retrieval, and poor continuity of care particularly for patients with chronic conditions. In Enugu North Local Government Area, where multiple PHCs serve a dense urban population, these record-keeping deficiencies have been reported as contributing factors to service inefficiency and inadequate health data for planning purposes. This study designed an automated patient record system tailored to the infrastructure and capacity constraints of PHCs in Enugu North LGA. The system was built using PHP, MySQL, and a lightweight web interface accessible on basic desktop computers and Android tablets available at PHC facilities. Core modules included patient registration, visit history documentation, diagnosis and prescription recording, appointment scheduling, and basic health analytics for facility administrators. The design process incorporated structured interviews with PHC staff to ensure the system's data fields and workflows aligned with existing national health record standards. Prototype testing at a simulated PHC environment confirmed accurate patient data capture, record retrieval within two seconds, and reliable appointment alert generation. PHC staff participants rated the system highly for ease of use. The study concluded that an automated patient record system would substantially improve healthcare service delivery and data integrity at primary healthcare centres in Enugu North LGA, with recommendations for government-led rollout supported by NPHCDA guidelines.

Keywords: patient records, primary healthcare, Enugu North LGA, health information system, automation