Assessment of Digital Health Records in Reducing Administrative Delays and Improving Patient Satisfaction: A Hospital Management Perspective

Abstract: The growing use of Digital Health Records (DHRs) is reshaping hospital administration by making patient information easier to access, supporting accurate documentation, and improving coordination across departments. This study examines how DHRs may help reduce administrative delays and enhance patient satisfaction from a hospital management perspective, with a focus on the Indian healthcare setting. It considers operational areas such as documentation time, retrieval of patient information, interdepartmental communication, waiting time, and documentation errors, alongside patient experiences of communication, transparency, and service responsiveness. A mixed-methods, comparative cross-sectional design is adopted to examine DHR-enabled hospitals alongside hospitals using paper-based records. The proposed sample comprises 300 participants, including patients, doctors, nurses, and administrative and information technology professionals. Data collection is described through structured questionnaires, in-depth interviews, observation checklists, and relevant secondary hospital records and policy documents. Quantitative analysis includes descriptive and inferential techniques, while interview material is examined thematically. The results presented in the paper suggest that DHR-enabled hospitals perform more favourably on selected measures, including patient satisfaction, communication transparency, waiting-time satisfaction, and documentation accuracy. The paper also identifies barriers that may limit these benefits, including inadequate infrastructure, insufficient staff training, resistance to change, data-security concerns, and limited interoperability. It highlights the importance of effective implementation, institutional support, and workforce readiness in translating digital systems into better administrative processes and patient experiences. Overall, the study underscores the potential of well-implemented DHRs to support more efficient, coordinated, and patient-centred hospital services in India. Keywords: Digital Health Records, Hospital Management, Administrative Delays, Operational Efficiency, Patient Satisfaction, Workflow Coordination. Title: Assessment of Digital Health Records in Reducing Administrative Delays and Improving Patient Satisfaction: A Hospital Management Perspective Author: Dipika Digdarshinee International Journal of Interdisciplinary Research and Innovations ISSN 2348-1218 (print), ISSN 2348-1226 (online) Vol. 14, Issue 4, October 2026 - December 2026 Page No: 21-33 Research Publish Journals Website: www.researchpublish.com Published Date: 06-November-2026 DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.24034900 Paper Download Link (Source) https://www.researchpublish.com/papers/assessment-of-digital-health-records-in-reducing-administrative-delays-and-improving-patient-satisfaction-a-hospital-management-perspective