Medical professionals’ information identification skill associated with patients health records utilisation among tertiary health institutions in SouthSouth, Nigeria

This study explored the connection between medical professionals’ information identification skills and their use of patient health records in tertiary health institutions in South-South, Nigeria. Modern healthcare relies on timely, accurate, and dependable information, yet many practitioners still struggle to identify, locate, and effectively use patient records. The research adopted a correlational approach to examine how skills such as recognising information needs, defining search topics, articulating background knowledge, and retrieving information in different formats influence the use of patient health records. The population comprised 89,933 medical professionals from seven tertiary health institutions in the region. Data were collected using validated tools and analysed through regression and chisquare tests. Results indicated a strong, statistically significant positive relationship between information identification skills and the utilisation of patient health records, with a mean regression coefficient of 0.74 (p < 0.05). Respondents showed a very high level of competence in key aspects of information identification. The study concludes that enhancing information literacy skills among medical professionals improves the effective use of patient health records, thereby supporting clinical decision-making, research, planning, and overall healthcare delivery. Therefore, increasing training in information literacy and search strategies is crucial for improved health information management in Nigeria’s tertiary hospitals.