Typing skills of physicians in training

Arun Kalava; Sapna Ravindranath; Inessa Bronshteyn; Ripudaman S Munjal; Joseph Schianodicola; Joel M Yarmush

doi:10.4300/JGME-D-13-00164.1

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Typing skills of physicians in training

Arun Kalava, Sapna Ravindranath, Inessa Bronshteyn, Ripudaman S Munjal, Joseph Schianodicola and Joel M Yarmush

Journal of graduate medical education, Vol.6(1), pp.155-157

03/2014

DOI: 10.4300/JGME-D-13-00164.1

PMCID: PMC3963776

PMID: 24701328

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Abstract

There is an increasing use of electronic health records in hospitals across the United States. The speed and accuracy of residents in documenting electronic health records has been insufficiently addressed. We studied resident typing skills at New York Methodist Hospital. Participating residents typed a standard 100-word alphanumerical paragraph of a patient's medical history. Typing skills were assessed by calculating the net words per minute (WPM). Typing skills were categorized as follows: (1) fewer than 26 net WPM as very slow; (2) 26 to 35 net WPM as slow; (3) 35 to 45 net WPM as intermediate; and (4) greater than 45 net WPM as fast. Residents were further categorized into (1) American medical graduates; (2) American international medical graduates; and (3) non-American international medical graduates. A total of 104 of 280 residents (37%) participated in the study. There was equal representation from various specialties, backgrounds, and all postgraduate levels of training. The median typing speed was 30.4 net WPM. Typing skills were very slow (34 of 104, 33%), slow (28 of 104, 27%), intermediate (29 of 104, 28%), and fast (13 of 104, 12%) among the residents. Typing skills of non-American international medical graduates (mean net WPM of 25.9) were significantly slower than those of American medical graduates (mean net WPM of 35.9) and American international medical graduates (mean net WPM of 33.5). Most residents (60%, 62 of 104) who participated in the study at our institute lacked typing skills. As the use of electronic health records increases, a lack of typing skills may impact residents' time for learning and patient care.

Details

Title: Subtitle: Typing skills of physicians in training
Creators: Arun Kalava
Sapna Ravindranath
Inessa Bronshteyn
Ripudaman S Munjal
Joseph Schianodicola
Joel M Yarmush
Resource Type: Journal article
Publication Details: Journal of graduate medical education, Vol.6(1), pp.155-157
Publisher: United States
DOI: 10.4300/JGME-D-13-00164.1
PMID: 24701328
PMCID: PMC3963776
ISSN: 1949-8349
eISSN: 1949-8357
Language: English
Date published: 03/2014
Academic Unit: Anesthesia
Record Identifier: 9984006480502771

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