Why Can’t Our Health Systems “Talk” to Each Other?
Picture this: A patient in Machakos County visits a public health facility, gets diagnosed, and starts treatment. A few months later, they move or visit Nairobi or any other county and visits a health clinic. The doctor there has no way of accessing their previous medical history. The patient struggles to recall past prescriptions, and crucial details—like allergies or prior test results—are missing. The doctor either makes an educated guess or orders repeat tests, costing the patient time and money.
This is the reality of Kenya’s healthcare system today.
Despite digitization efforts, our health records are trapped in silos—locked within different hospitals, counties, or private health networks. The lack of interoperability between Electronic Health Record (EHR) systems and Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) means that hospitals—such as those in Machakos County, other county health facilities, faith-based health institutions, and private healthcare providers—each maintain their own separate databases. However, these systems are unable to easily share data with one another.
And this is not just an inconvenience—it is a major barrier to effective healthcare.
A. Why Is Interoperability So Hard?
1. Different Systems, No Common Language
Many hospitals and clinics have invested in EHR systems, but these systems are often built using different frameworks. For example, a Health Management Information Systems used in a public hospital in Busia may not be compatible with the Hospital Information Management System used by Nairobi Hospital. This lack of standardization leads to fragmented data and hinders seamless communication between healthcare facilities
2. Data Privacy and Security Concerns
With the Data Protection Act, 2019, healthcare providers must ensure patient confidentiality. But how do we balance seamless data sharing with protecting sensitive information? Many hospitals are on the side of caution—opting to keep their records closed off rather than risk breaches.
3. Cost and Technical Barriers
Building interoperable systems requires IT investment, expertise, and ongoing maintenance. Many health facilities, especially in rural areas, struggle with limited budgets. Even when hospitals want to integrate, the cost can be a dealbreaker.
4. Resistance to Change
Let’s be real—some healthcare professionals are comfortable with their current systems. Asking them to adopt a new, interconnected approach means training, time, and effort not to mention the cost that comes with change. If the process feels too complex, many facilities simply stick to what they know.
B. How This Affects Patient Care
i. Delays and Repeat Tests
Patients often move between healthcare facilities without a seamless transfer of their medical records. This results in unnecessary scans, repeated tests, and additional costs. On top of that, there is the added burden of physically moving from one facility to another while unwell.
ii. Misdiagnoses and Medical Errors
A doctor without full patient history might miss allergies, chronic conditions, or past treatments, putting the patient at risk.
iii. Overburdened Healthcare Workers
Nurses and doctors spend too much time tracking down patient history manually (kutafuta file), reducing the time available for actual patient care.
C. So, What’s the Solution
1. Government-Led Standardization
The Ministry of Health needs to continue pushing for the national EHR integration (HIE) with clear interoperability standards. If Machakos County health facilities, Tenwek Hospital and Maua Methodist Hospital were required to connect to a central health information exchange (HIE), data sharing would be easier.
2. Public-Private Partnerships
The private sector has the tech expertise, while the government controls policy and funding. A collaborative effort between hospital networks, insurance providers, and regulators can accelerate interoperability efforts.
3. API-Based Integrations
Health IT developers should focus on building APIs that allow different EMR/HMISs to exchange data without requiring hospitals to change entire systems. This would make integration cheaper and faster.
4. Stronger Cybersecurity Measures
Patients (and hospitals) need assurance that shared data is secure and only accessible to authorized personnel. Investment in data encryption and secure access protocols is a must.
D. Final Thoughts: A Patient-Centred Future!
Interoperability is not just an IT issue—it is about patients getting better, safer, and more efficient care. If we truly want a future where NO patient has to repeat tests unnecessarily, where doctors can access full medical histories instantly, and where healthcare is seamless across Kenya, we must break these data silos.
It is time for health facilities, policymakers, and tech innovators to step up. The good news? The solutions exist—we just need the will to implement them.
💬 What do you think? Have you experienced the frustrations of disjointed health records? Let us discuss in the comments…