CHALLENGES AND PROSPECT OF CAREEER DEVELOPMENT WITHIN THE FIELD OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT IN SELECTED TERTIARY HEALTH INSTITUTIONS IN SOUTH WEST, NIGERIA.

“Challenges and Prospects of Career Development within the Field of Health Information Management in Selected Tertiary Health Institutions in Southwest Nigeria,” explores how career development influences the practice and effectiveness of Health Information Management (HIM). Career development involves the purposeful pursuit of learning, skill enhancement, and advancement within a chosen profession, particularly relevant in the dynamic field of HIM. A descriptive research design was adopted, focusing on health information professionals from three tertiary institutions: University College Hospital, Ibadan (250), Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospital, Ile-Ife (81), and University of Medical Sciences Teaching Hospital, Ondo (210). Using stratified and simple random sampling, along with Yamane’s formula, a sample size of 230 respondents was selected and achieved a 97% response rate. Data were analyzed using SPSS version 20.0. Findings showed that 87.4% of respondents confirmed consistent application of key HIM practices like documentation and patient record registration. Additionally, 86.3% agreed that career development enhances professional competence, satisfaction, productivity, and adaptability to technological change. In conclusion, while career development significantly strengthens HIM practices, challenges such as limited resources, stress, and resistance to change remain. It is recommended that the government invest more in infrastructure and that professionals actively pursue ongoing development opportunities.