Impact of Clinical Forensic Medicine Department Imparting Training on Accuracy of Medical Record Documentation in Emergency Department

Abstract

Private hospitals find it difficult to have qualified manpower in emergency departments. To hire a person especially for documentation  work is difficult to hospitals. Managing medico-legal cases and their documentation is a skill that requires patience, and diligence of  doctors and nurses. To save doctors from legal troubles, training in documentation enhances the awareness about the court procedures. In  emergency department of medical college hospital, 30 doctors and 10 nurses posted for more than 3 months duration in a year, were  identified and in 3 batches of 10 people each training programs were imparted. Trainers were faculty from forensic medicine and hospital  administration. Simultaneously, junior residents from Forensic Medicine are posted in Clinical Forensic Medicine Unit for completing  medico-legal cases documentation. There is an increase in pre-test and post-test knowledge of about 45%. After 3 months and 6 months  medical records were verified with a checklist by Forensic residents, the errors by clinicians were reduced by 50%. Forensic experts are  experienced with court deliberations and if they conduct training programs to young doctors from clinical departments on a regular basis,  it will add a great value in reduction of medical record documentation errors. A constant reminders by senior professors of same  department will instil a sense of diligent duty nature amongst young doctors.