Morbidity & Mortality In Hospitalized Pediatrics : Practical steps for developing an electronic database of hospital discharge forms in a developing Arabic country (Iraq)

Living in the 21st century requires coping with the electronic era. Iraq (an Arabic country) has just emerged from a devastating war and economic sanctions in 2006. This book describe the first attempt to compile an ICD10 and WHO compatible morbidity and mortality report, using the available hospital discharge forms in a pediatric hospital. It breaks the boundary between paper based and electronic based database of hospital records. This work is the proof that electronic documentation of hospital practice is possible, even with limited infrastructure or training in ICD10 coding. The present work was done in a major tertiary pediatric hospital over a period of 10 years. It was executed by the efforts of two persons only. The richness of information about morbidity and mortality made available to health professionals and policy makers will help in improving the currently disabled health system of Iraq.