Study on Rate of Knowledge, Attitude and Practice of Medical Students Towards Method of Medical Records Documentation

History, Clinical findings, all procedures done and patient response to treatment are written in clinical records and contents of clinical records are indicators of physician evaluation. If clinical records are provided precisely, clear and systematized, indicate the clinical thinking and facilitate patient diagnosis process. These records have an important role in coordinating between professional staff that share in patient care. Since the physicians and medical students are involved, more in medical records documentation than the other hospital staff, hence knowledge on their attitude and practice towards the principles of medical records documentation is undertaken. This descriptive study done about the rate of knowledge, attitude and practice of 207 medical students at (Mazandaran University of Medical Sciences) MazUMS affiliated educational hospitals. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were used for the collected data, for comparison of the hospitals. Regarding observing designed principles in the context of medical records documentation and considering the filled questionnaires, the minimum score designated as 1 and maximum 5, that is, very poor to excellent. Then the mean of score was calculated and considered for the comparison of hospitals. Kendall’s Tau Test was used for the determination of the relationship between knowledge, attitude and practice. It was found that 77.8% of the participants had low knowledge about medical records documentation and 54.1% of them did not have good attitude about completion of medical records the significance and value of medical records documentation in treatment, education and research. Results of this study indicate that delinquencies of medical records at the university-affiliated hospitals are due to lack of awareness of the students towards the method of medical records documentation. In addition, lack of desire in completion of records can affect quality of their practice.