Health Information Systems for Eye Care Data Management in Tertiary Hospitals in Lagos State

Robust health information systems are fundamental to tracking eye care service delivery, planning resources, and monitoring disease burden at institutional and population levels. This study assesses the state of health information systems for eye care data management at tertiary hospitals in Lagos State, South West Nigeria. A cross-sectional facility assessment will be conducted at Lagos University Teaching Hospital and two other tertiary hospitals with ophthalmology departments in Lagos. Structured assessment tools will evaluate the type and format of patient records maintained (paper-based or electronic), completeness and accuracy of ophthalmology outpatient registers, availability of disease classification using ICD-10 coding for ophthalmic conditions, data extraction capability for reporting, and staff capacity for data management. Key informant interviews with medical records officers, ophthalmologists, and health information managers will complement the quantitative assessment. Nigerian tertiary hospital ophthalmology units predominantly rely on paper-based records, resulting in significant data loss, inability to track patients longitudinally, and inadequate programme reporting to the Federal Ministry of Health. This study provides a detailed situational picture for Lagos State tertiary facilities and proposes a minimum data set and electronic health record module specifically designed for ophthalmology department data needs. Recommendations will include training of medical records staff, adoption of the national electronic HMIS platform, and designation of an ophthalmology data focal person in each facility. Modernising eye care data systems is prerequisite to evidence-based ophthalmology service planning and policy in Lagos State. Keywords: health information systems, eye care data, medical records, Lagos State, electronic health records