Analysis of Clinical Record-Keeping Education in Turkish Medical Faculties: Evaluation of Curriculum Programs

Objective: Aimed to review the clinical record-keeping (CRK) courses offered in Turkish medical faculties and to determine their distribution according to topics. Additionally, considering the importance of early clinical experience in developing record-keeping skills, it aimed to assess the emphasis on practical and theoretical courses in the preclinical period. Methods: The pre-graduation education programs of medical faculties in Turkey with students in the 2023-2024 academic year were accessed through faculty websites. 122 out of 148 medical faculties were included in the study. All courses related to CRK were recorded in terms of their hours, the class in which they were offered, and whether they were practical or theoretical. Recorded course names were grouped under headings. Results: Education programs of 86 (70.5%) of faculties were obtained. Of the total 1351 course hours related to CRK, 31.8% (429 hours) were theoretical, 9.6% (129 hours) were practical in the preclinical period; 58.7% (793 hours) were taught theoretically in the clinical period. The majority of theoretical courses (70.8%) were related to taking anamnesis, followed by legal document preparation (8.9%) and prescription writing (7.6%). Practical courses: 7.4% (100 hours) were on taking anamnesis. Courses on writing epicrises and electronic health records were quite limited. Conclusion: Majority of CRK courses were offered in the clinical period and were theoretical. The limited number of practical courses may restrict students' opportunities to develop this skill. Increasing practical applications, especially in the preclinical period, can help students acquire CRK skills early and become more competent physicians after graduation. Therefore, it is recommended to increase the number and quality of CRK courses.