Role of Medical Secretaries and Health Information Management in Health Records Management

Abstract

This review investigates the essential role of medical secretaries in hospital environments, focusing on their responsibilities in patient scheduling, physician note transcription, and medical record management. The study explores the impact of implementing electronic health record (EHR) systems in Saudi Arabia, identifying challenges faced by medical secretaries that affect the workflows of doctors and nurses. The Danish context of EHR adoption aligns with global initiatives to enhance healthcare through technology. Previous research in computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) has predominantly focused on doctors and nurses, with limited attention given to non-clinical professionals like medical secretaries. This study underscores their critical contributions within hospital settings and introduces the concept of "boundary-object trimming" to illustrate their pivotal role in maintaining and optimizing EHRs as boundary objects. The findings emphasize the importance of integrating frontline staff into healthcare IT development and implementation strategies, acknowledging the diverse range of professionals involved in patient care. The study advocates for recognizing the vital role of medical secretaries in hospital operations and calls for their involvement in system design and implementation to foster a more holistic and effective approach to healthcare IT innovation.