ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD IMPLEMENTATION INCOLLEGE CLINICS: AN ANALYSIS OF STUDENT VIEWPOINTS

Abstract

Electronic Medical Records (EMRs) are increasingly vital for improving efficiency, accuracy, and quality of healthcare delivery. While research has widely examined EMR adoption in hospitals and low-resource settings, little is known about student perspectives in college clinics. This study investigated students’ views on EMR implementation at the Federal College of Education (Technical) Asaba, Nigeria. Using a structured questionnaire administered to 180 students, the study explored perceptions of efficiency, accessibility, barriers, and recommendations. Students generally viewed EMRs as beneficial for improving record retrieval, clinic organization, and service reliability. However, challenges such as lack of direct student access, privacy concerns, and infrastructural limitations, particularly frequent power outages, were identified as major barriers. Students strongly recommended secure online access to health records, options for electronic record requests, provision of backup power systems, regular staff training, and stronger privacy safeguards. The findings highlight that while EMRs enhance efficiency, addressing issues of accessibility, trust, and infrastructure is essential to maximizing their impact in academic healthcare settings