Electronic health record training in undergraduate medical education: bridging theory to practice with curricula for empowering patient- and relationship-centered care in the computerized setting.
While electronic health record (EHR) use is becoming state-of-the-art, deliberate teaching of health care information technology (HCIT) competencies is not keeping pace with burgeoning use. Medical students require training to become skilled users of HCIT, but formal pedagogy within undergraduate medical education (UME) is sparse. How can medical educators best meet the needs of learners while integrating EHRs into medical education and practice? How can they help learners preserve and foster effective communication skills within the computerized setting? In general, how can UME curricula be devised for skilled use of EHRs to enhance rather than hinder provision of effective, humanistic health care?Within this Perspective, the authors build on recent publications that "set the stage" for next steps: EHR curricula innovation and implementation as concrete embodiments of theoretical underpinnings. They elaborate on previous calls for maximizing benefits and minimizing risks of EHR use with sufficient focus on physician-patient communication skills and for developing core competencies within medical education. The authors describe bridging theory into practice with systematic longitudinal curriculum development for EHR training in UME at their institution, informed by Kern and colleagues' curriculum development framework, narrative medicine, and reflective practice. They consider this innovation within a broader perspective-the overarching goal of empowering undergraduate medical students' patient- and relationship-centered skills while effectively demonstrating HCIT-related skills.
Dr. Wald is clinical associate professor of family medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. George is assistant professor of family medicine and director of second-year curriculum, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Reis is chair, faculty development unit, Bar-Ilan University Faculty of Medicine in the Galilee, Safed, Israel and adjunct professor of family medicine, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Taylor is professor of family medicine and director of clinical curriculum, Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island.
Hedy S
HS
Wald
Paul
P
George
Shmuel P
SP
Reis
Julie Scott
JS
Taylor
D003142:Communication; D003479:Curriculum; D004504:Education, Medical, Undergraduate / Q000379:methods*; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D006801:Humans; D008491:Medical Informatics Applications; D010358:Patient Participation; D018802:Patient-Centered Care; D010817:Physician-Patient Relations