Within the framework of the strategic plan to improve medical records departments in the MOH, Assistant Director General for Hospitals, Dr. Riad Al Khlaif,recently launched the second training course for records department administrators and managers working in MOH referral hospitals. The four-day course in Dammam will include 25 hours of continuous medical training approved by Saudi Council for Health Specialties. The course program includes an introduction to the strategic plan’s components for developing MOH hospital record systems, including location, workforce, equipment and policies and procedures. Strategies for updating and standardizing medical records classifications will also be addressed. 27 medical records administrators and managers from Riyadh, Qassim, Eastern Region, Hail, Jouf, Najran and Bisha are participating.
The course was given by a specialized MOH training team. The program also offered lectures and workshops on various technical issues related to work organization in medical records departments according to national and international standards, including electronic recordkeeping. Other lectures and workshops discussed medical documentation, types of medical files, and health coding skills using the international system for disease and intervention classification (ICD10AM – International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Australian Modification.)
Participants also took part in open discussions about causes of and possible solutions for the main challenges facing medical records departments in MOH hospitals. The program also included a field visit to Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital in Dammam, where participants were able to see firsthand how an advanced medical records department operates.