The use of hybrid training in record documentation standards to improve medical record documentation in emergency departments: A quasiexperimental study

BACKGROUND: Studies indicate that the quality of medical record documentation (MRD) is unsatisfactory, primarily due to insufficient training in accurate documentation. The aim of this research was to evaluate the effectiveness of hybrid training methods in improving medical documentation in emergency departments. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This quasiexperimental study with pretest–posttest design was conducted in 2024 in the emergency department of hospitals affiliated to Iran University of Medical Sciences. A hybrid training program (consisting of four 2-hour long educational sessions) was implemented to teach documentation standards to 50 emergency medicine interns. Researchers in this study used the rapid medical record assessment tool to evaluate medical documentation before and after the study. Data were analyzed by SPSS-22 software (IBM Corp., Armonk, NY) using independent t -test, Wilcoxon test, and Mann–Whitney U test at a significant level of α = 0.05. RESULTS: The mean age of medical students was 26 years, with the majority of them being female and single. Baseline characteristics and documentation abilities of students in the intervention and control groups were similar before the intervention. After the intervention however, a significant difference was observed in the mean score of documentation between the intervention and control groups so that this score was significantly higher in the intervention group compared to the control group ( P = 0.001). However, no significant changes in the documentation score were noted in the control group before and after the intervention ( P = 0.121). CONCLUSION: MRD training through the hybrid training method resulted in a notable improvement in the documentation ability of emergency medical students. Thus, policymakers and community health care providers in health centers are recommended to hold necessary trainings and workshops to improve the quality of documentation by using modern education-based approaches.