TITLE:
Healthcare Services Interoperability in Kenya: Challenges and Opportunities
AUTHORS:
Antony G. Musabi, Andrew Kiprop Kipkebut
KEYWORDS:
Healthcare Services, Interoperability, Data Exchange
JOURNAL NAME:
E-Health Telecommunication Systems and Networks,
Vol.13 No.1,
March
29,
2024
ABSTRACT: In an attempt to assess the Kenyan healthcare system, this study looks at the current efforts that are already in place, what challenges they face, and what strategies can be put into practice to foster interoperability. By reviewing a variety of literature and using statistics, the paper ascertains notable impediments such as the absence of standard protocols, lack of adequate technological infrastructure, and weak regulatory frameworks. Resultant effects from these challenges regarding health provision target enhanced data sharing and merging for better patient outcomes and allocation of resources. It also highlights several opportunities that include the adoption of emerging technologies, and the establishment of public-private partnerships to strengthen the healthcare framework among others. In this regard, the article provides recommendations based on stakeholder views and global best practices addressed to policymakers, medical practitioners, and IT specialists concerned with achieving effective interoperability within Kenya’s health system. This research is relevant because it adds knowledge to the existing literature on how healthcare quality can be improved to make it more patient-centered especially in Kenya.