Development and Validation of an Active Educational Resource to Address Quality Gaps Regarding Clinical Documentation

Abstract

Context Athletic trainers (ATs) have self-reported inadequate documentation of patient encounters and a desire for more educational resources to inform their documentation practices. However, continuing education opportunities regarding clinical documentation are limited and not easily accessible by all ATs. Objective To develop and validate a comprehensive educational resource on clinical documentation using an established personalized learning pathway (PLP) framework. Design Multiphase development process consisting of consensus development, subject matter expert content validation, and pilot implementation. Setting Asynchronous, web-based educational resource. Participants Three subject matter experts thoroughly reviewed the educational resource for face and content validity. Ten ATs and 23 professional athletic training students participated in pilot implementation. Main Outcome Measure(s) Through a consensus process, the research team developed a comprehensive educational resource regarding clinical documentation in athletic training. The clinical documentation PLP includes 7 overarching topic areas that are necessary for a comprehensive understanding of clinical documentation. A variety of learning formats were used to help engage learners, and content was curated and delivered by members of the research team, 14 practicing ATs, and 2 content area experts. Results Subject matter experts considered the content of the Clinical Documentation PLP and the delivery mechanism of the learning resource to be excellent; minor feedback to enhance the overall face and content validity was implemented as suggested by the subject matter experts. All 10 ATs and 23 professional athletic training students completed the PLP in its entirety. Minor feedback to enhance the overall user experience was implemented as suggested by the pilot participants. Conclusions The Clinical Documentation PLP was developed based on central principles of adult learning theory and cognitive load theory to provide comprehensive knowledge and best-practice recommendations regarding clinical documentation to ATs. The PLP is relatable, cost-free, continuously available, and conveniently accessible from any location or device.