Using electronic patient records: defining learning outcomes for undergraduate education

Area of Science:

• Digital Health Education
• Healthcare Informatics
• Medical Education

Background:

• Healthcare professionals require digital competence for patient care.
• Inadequate exposure to technology during training impacts graduates' digital skills.
• This study addresses the need for defined digital competencies in healthcare education.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and define essential domains of competence for healthcare graduates.
• To establish learning outcomes for working in digital healthcare environments.
• To guide the integration of Electronic Patient Records (EPRs) into undergraduate curricula.

Main Methods:

• A UK National Working Group integrated EPRs into undergraduate healthcare programs.
• The group comprised academic institutions and representatives from NHS England, NHS Digital, and EPR providers.
• Key learning outcomes were identified, grouped into domains, and refined through expert review.

Main Results:

• Six key domains of digital competence and associated learning outcomes were identified and defined.
• Domains include Digital Health, Data Accessing, Communication, Data Generating, Multidisciplinary Working, and Monitoring/Audit.
• Expert review ensured iterative refinement and amendment of the defined outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The defined domains and learning outcomes provide a framework for integrating EPRs into healthcare education.
• This integration is crucial for preparing the future healthcare workforce for digital practice.
• Ensuring graduates can effectively use EPRs enhances patient care and system efficiency.