From Clicks to Care: Enhancing Clinical Decision Making Through Structured Electronic Health Records Navigation...

Background: The effective use of electronic health records (EHRs) is an essential clinical skill, but medical schools have traditionally provided limited systematic teaching on the topic. Inefficient use of EHRs results in delays in diagnosis, fragmented care, and clinician burnout. This study investigates the impact on medical students' confidence, efficiency, and proficiency in extracting clinically pertinent information from patient records following an organised EHR teaching programme. Methods: This observational cohort involved 60 final-year medical students from three London medical schools. Participants received a structured three-phase intervention involving an introductory workshop, case-based hands-on practice, and guided reflection on EHR navigation habits. Pre- and post-intervention testing involved mixed-method surveys, simulated case tasks, and faculty-assessed data retrieval exercises to measure changes in students' confidence, efficiency, and ability to synthesise patient information. Quantitative data were analysed using paired t-tests, while qualitative reflections were theme-analysed to identify shifts in clinical reasoning. Results: All 60 students successfully finished the intervention and assessments. Pre-intervention, only 28% students reported feeling confident in using EHRs effectively, with a confidence rating of 3.0. Post-intervention, 87% reported confidence with a rating of 4.5 (p < 0.01). Efficiency in the recovery of critical patient information improved from 3.2 to 4.6 (p < 0.01). Students also demonstrated enhanced awareness regarding system-related issues, such as information overload and fragmented documentation, and provided recommendations on enhancing data synthesis for clinical decision making. Conclusions: This study emphasises the value of structured EHR instruction in enhancing the confidence and proficiency of medical students in using electronic records. The integration of structured EHR education to medical curricula can better prepare future physicians in managing information overload, improve diagnostic accuracy, and enhance the quality of patient care. Future research should explore the long-term impact of structured EHR training on clinical performance, diagnostic accuracy, and patient outcomes during real-world clinical placements and postgraduate training.