Impact of Health Information Managers as the first point of contact on Patient Experience at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, South South, Nigeria

The study was undertaken to evaluate patients' perceptions of the efficiency of registration services, the timeliness of medical records retrieval, the quality of communication, the professionalism, courtesy, and responsiveness of Health Information Managers, and the overall influence of these services on patient experience. A descriptive cross-sectional survey research design was adopted. The study population comprised patients attending the Medical Outpatient (MOP II) and Surgical Outpatient (SOP II) clinics of the Consultant Outpatient Department (COPD) at UBTH. Using Cochran's formula with a 7% margin of error, a sample size of 200 respondents was determined and proportionately allocated across the two outpatient units using a stratified sampling technique. Data were collected using a structured questionnaire and analyzed using Microsoft Excel. Descriptive statistics comprising frequencies, percentages, and mean scores were used to answer the research questions, while Pearson Product Moment Correlation was employed to determine the relationship between Health Information Managers' services and patients' overall experience. The findings revealed that patients had a positive perception of the efficiency of registration services (grand mean = 3.17), the timeliness of medical records retrieval (grand mean = 3.06), the quality of communication (grand mean = 3.21), and the professionalism, courtesy, and responsiveness of Health Information Managers (grand mean = 3.25). The study further established that Health Information Managers' services had a positive influence on patients' overall experience (grand mean = 3.24), indicating that the quality of services provided during patients' first contact with the hospital significantly contributes to patient satisfaction and perceptions of healthcare quality. The study concluded that Health Information Managers play a vital role in shaping patients' experiences by ensuring efficient registration, timely records retrieval, effective communication, and professional service delivery. It was recommended that the management of UBTH should strengthen patient registration processes, improve medical records retrieval systems, provide continuous training for Health Information Managers on communication and customer relations.