Data Entry Skills in a Computer-based Spread Sheet Amongst Postgraduate Medical Students: A Simulation Based Descriptive Assessment.
BACKGROUND
In India, research work in the form of a thesis is a mandatory requirement for the postgraduate (PG) medical students. Data entry in a computer-based spread sheet is one of the important basic skills for research, which has not yet been studied. This study was conducted to assess the data entry skills of the 2(nd) year PG medical students of a medical college of North India.


METHODS
A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted among 111 second year PG students by using four simulated filled case record forms and a computer-based spread sheet in which data entry was to be carried out.


RESULTS
On a scale of 0-10, only 17.1% of the students scored more than seven. The specific sub-skills that were found to be lacking in more than half of the respondents were as follows: Inappropriate coding (93.7%), long variable names (51.4%), coding not being done for all the variables (76.6%), missing values entered in a non-uniform manner (84.7%) and two variables entered in the same column in the case of blood pressure reading (80.2%).


CONCLUSIONS
PG medical students were not found to be proficient in data entry skill and this can act as a barrier to do research. This being a first of its kind study in India, more research is needed to understand this issue and then include this yet neglected aspect in teaching research methodology to the medical students.
Department of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Amir Maroof
AM
Khan
Department of Pediatrics, University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Dheeraj
D
Shah
Department of Community Medicine, University College of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
Pranab
P
Chatterjee
Computer; data entry; medical education; medical postgraduate; spread sheet