Records Management practices in capturing corporate memory

Records management is an integral part of the organization work processes. Without records, organization faces the consequences of loosing their transactional evidences, proof of conducts, facing probable litigation, and historical memory of its conduct. 

Not only limited to that, organization faces losing valuable information in the form of knowledge, best practices and lesson learnt from its daily conduct (explicit knowledge) and its human capital (tacit knowledge). Hence, it is important for organization to strive in managing its records and play critical role in identifying and capturing its knowledge into records and maintaining them accordingly, and by doing so safeguarding the organization’s intellectual assets, moving human capital into structural capital. 

Nonaka emphasizes that knowledge especially tacit knowledge is a main source for creating new knowledge and continuous innovation. The need for, and ability of, organizations to capture tacit knowledge remains a disputed academic issue. Considering Nonaka’s hierarchy of data, information and knowledge, the need for an effort to capture knowledge seems to be a fair and logical conclusion. Making the case for capturing tacit knowledge, this paper goes on to discuss some of the implications for records management and records managers. There are no easy solutions on offer for the successful capture and re-use of knowledge but questions are raised about the role of records managers. 

Developing relevant skills and taking responsibility for helping organizations with this strategic goal, thereby contributing to some core aspirations of employers, should be an exciting prospect and worthwhile activity. Since information and knowledge management is encompassing to every aspects of data, information and knowledge in organization, one has to look at the practices of records management and its relation to knowledge management holistically as a continuous efforts and processes of capturing critical knowledge be it tacit or explicit knowledge possessed or owned by organization. 

Within this context, the practices of records management and knowledge management varies from achieving better organizational administration to producing innovative products and better services. It is tantamount to say that records management play a critical role in the operation of administrative work of an organization. Records bring evidence in organizational transactions. And not only limited to that, records is the source of organizational information and knowledge. It is where the documented lesson learnt, best practices, expert documentation and past mistakes are referred to in learning organization. Whereby, within the context of knowledge management, records is prime resource for organizational improvements in operations, development of innovative products and services thus adding value to organizational knowledge asset. 

However, the practices of records management initiatives in organizational context, knowledge management initiatives and knowledge capturing specifically is yet to be determined. This is due to the fact that records management by itself is an ignored aspect in organization, and not focused on dollar and cents rather on intangible benefits to organization. Therefore, it requires in depth study with regard to the practices of records management in relation to knowledge capturing. The relationship between the practices of records management in the process of knowledge capturing in organizational context is due to be explored. This study looks into deeper understanding of the function of records management practices in knowledge capturing activity. It seeks to explore the neglected but critical functions played by records management in identifying explicit knowledge and turning tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge by way of documenting it and keeping it as corporate memory of an organization.

Pengurusan Rekod Perubatan-Medical Records Management

Usaha dan komitmen yang berterusan disertai dengan ilmu merupakan elemen elemen penting dalam kejayaan sesebuah organisasi. Ditambah pula dengan kepakaran yang sentiasa dipertingkatkan oleh modal insan itu sendiri atau yang kita kenali sebagai sumber manusia menjadikan sesebuah institusi itu menjadi lebih mapan dalam pencapaian objektif serta matlamat organisasi.

Menyedari hakikat ini dengan keperluan dan skop serta tanggungjawab yang lebih luas dan menyeluruh yang dituntut oleh pengguna mahupun pasaran pada hari ini memerlukan kita untuk terus mempertingkatkan kepakaran, perkhidmatan serta pemyampaian perkhidmatan dengan lebih cekap dan berkesan. Ini secara langsung memerlukan usaha yang berterusan di peringkat dalaman sesebuah institusi untuk menambah nilai dan memperbaiki segala aspek tersebut. 

Pengurusan rekod perubatan merupakan suatu usaha yang bertujuan antara lainnya untuk mencapai matlamat matlamat berikut: 

1. Mendedahkan kepentingan pengurusan rekod perubatan dengan baik dan berkualiti. 
2. Memberi panduan kepada staf hospital hospital kerajaan untuk menguruskan rekod perubatan dengan baik dan cekap supaya boleh digunakan sebagai bahan bukti 
3. Membantu didalam proses diagnosis dan membuat rawatan melalui rujukan kepada rekod perubatan 

4. Membantu didalam aspek penyelidikan dan pendidikan 

5. Memberi manfaat dari segi kecemerlangan kerjaya 

Ia merupakan suatu langkah besar dalam memartabatkan bidang pengurusan rekod perubatan di hospital hospital, pusat pusat kesihatan mahupun institusi institusi lain yang berkaitan dibawah naungan Kementerian Kesihatan Malaysia. 

Memang benar, kita mesti mengambil langkah pertama untuk memajukan dan mencapai sesuatu perkara. Usaha ini merupakan langkah yang tepat dan betul untuk memastikan aspek penyampaian perkhidmatan perubatan ketahap yang lebih tinggi lagi melalui proses penambahbaikan yang berterusan dengan menumpukan kepada peningkatan kepakaran modal insan yang dimiliki oleh kementerian kesihatan malaysia. Adalah diharapkan objektif untuk menjadikan malaysia sebagai hub pelancongan kesihatan dapat dicapai dengan peningkatan mutu perkhidmatan melalui pengurusan yang cekap dan berkesan di seluruh hospital hospital kerajaan.

Adalah diharapkan bidang pengurusan rekod perubatan akan menjadi bidang yang penting seperti mana bidang bidang lain di negara ini. Langkah proaktif pihak kementerian kesihatan malaysia ini akan menjadikan malaysia sebagai model didalam bidang pengurusan rekod perubatan di kalangan negara negara di asia tengggara mahupun negara membangun yang lain seperti mana ia telah dilaksanakan oleh negara negara maju di dunia pada ketika ini.