Data Entry Skills in a Computer-based Spread Sheet Amongst Postgraduate Medical Students: A Simulation Based...

Area of Science:

• Medical Education
• Health Informatics
• Research Methodology

Background:

• Thesis research is mandatory for postgraduate (PG) medical students in India.
• Data entry using spreadsheets is a fundamental research skill, yet its proficiency among Indian PG medical students remains unassessed.
• This study addresses the gap by evaluating data entry skills in second-year PG medical students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the data entry skills of second-year postgraduate medical students in North India.
• To identify specific deficiencies in data entry practices among these students.
• To provide baseline data for improving research methodology training.

Main Methods:

• A cross-sectional, descriptive study was conducted.
• 111 second-year PG medical students participated.
• Participants performed data entry using simulated case record forms and a spreadsheet.

Main Results:

• Only 17.1% of students scored above seven out of ten for data entry proficiency.
• Common errors included inappropriate coding (93.7%), non-uniform missing value entry (84.7%), and incorrect variable entry (e.g., blood pressure, 80.2%).
• Over half of the respondents exhibited deficiencies in variable naming and complete variable coding.

Conclusions:

• Postgraduate medical students in India demonstrate significant deficits in essential data entry skills.
• These data entry skill gaps pose a potential barrier to conducting effective research.
• The findings underscore the necessity of integrating data entry training into medical research methodology curricula.