Effectiveness of web-based simulation training on health information technology students' skills in using hospital...

Simulation-based training helps healthcare professionals develop skills in a safe environment. It improves students' knowledge, skills, attitudes, and confidence. This brief report examines the effect of web-based simulation on hospital information system (HIS)-related skills in health information technology (HIT) students before their internships.

This brief report presents a before-after quasi-experimental study conducted with seventh-semester Health Information Technology students. The web-based simulator included seven processes, each consisting of training, practice, and examining sections. Students initially completed pretests for each process, followed by 1 month of training and practice scenarios. Afterward, they took post-tests. Data analysis was conducted using SPSS 23, applying descriptive statistics and a paired t-test to compare pretest and post-test scores.

The findings indicate that the educational intervention resulted in significant improvements in both performance scores and efficiency for certain processes. The electronic health record (SEPAS) process showed a significant increase in scores (P = 0.003) and a reduction in time (P = 0.032). In addition, significant improvements were observed in the Patient discharge process (P = 0.021), the Documentation of operating room procedures (P = 0.005), Diagnosis reporting (P = 0.009), and the Admission process for patients without a previous referral code (P = 0.03). However, some processes, such as visit, inpatient, and nutrition, did not show statistically significant changes.

The results of this brief report confirm that simulation-based training positively affects the skills of HIT students in using of HIS. The significant improvement in post-test scores and the reduction in task completion times demonstrate that this training method enhances both students' competency and efficiency in performing HIS-related tasks.