Development of a Cloud-Based Healthcare Data Management System for Public Health Facilities in Ekiti State, Nigeria

Abstract

Healthcare information and data management play a vital role in modern healthcare systems, where large volumes of patient datamust be accurately captured, stored and retrieved to support clinical decision-making and service delivery. However, many publicprimary healthcare facilities in Ekiti State continue to rely on fragmented paper-based record management systems, resulting inmisplaced patient files, delayed retrieval of medical records, duplication of records, poor interdepartmental communication, andprolonged treatment processes, which limit efficient healthcare operations, and compromise the accuracy and accessibility of patientinformation ultimately reducing the quality and timeliness of quality healthcare services. In this research, a centralized (cloud-based),secure and scalable system/platform for the storage, management and quick retrieval of patient health information across the 345public health facilities in Ekiti State was developed, thereby promoting efficient data sharing, and improving the accessibility andproper coordination of healthcare services. The system was implemented using HTML, CSS and JavaScript for the front-end interface,PHP for server-side application development; and MySQL for database management and progressive web application (PWA)technology to support offline synchronization and improve accessibility in areas with unstable internet connectivity. The developedsystem enhances the speed and accuracy of healthcare data retrieval, minimizes paperwork and data loss, improves communicationamong healthcare departments and supports timely clinical decision-making in service delivery in public primary healthcare facilities.