Volume 1

Testing Mechanisms

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Testing is an important part of the learning process for several reasons. First, it reinforces, for the learner, the information to be internalized. Second, it creates a record of the training and learning process.  Third, it identifies areas of weakness in need of additional training. And, fourth, it can be used as a measure of progress toward a goal.

The value in testing is evidenced by the widespread use of testing in most professional areas. For example, testing mechanisms are used for all professional clinical certifications and licensures. Physicians are no strangers to the testing process. And, clearly, testing brings with it process improvements that can benefit both individuals and the organization for whom they work. Why then is testing used so infrequently with physicians for hospital activities, and, in particular, for clinical documentation training? While it may not be possible to answer this question with certainty, it is possible to reverse the trend: By using the testing process that physicians and clinicians have become accustomed to through licensing and certification requirements, you can design a testing approach that will seem familiar, and even be welcomed by the learners in your organization.

The importance of keeping records of the training for compliance purposes is also described. Physicians should always feel as though they are partners in any clinically focused hospital process, including clinical documentation. They should never feel as though they are being told to document in a certain manner or that they have no control. These key concepts should be embedded in the communication and the message from the beginning. But, testing on these concepts can do two things: (1) Re-emphasize with the physicians what their responsibility and role is in partnering with the hospital on clinical documentation. The hospital provides accurate training, but the physician makes the decision on specifically what to document. (2) The testing records provide evidence that the information was provided to the physician and that he or she internalized and understood it.

The testing mechanisms used in the CAMP Method training test physician self-efficacy and clinical documentation and documentation quality. The training results show that superior results can be achieved in training when self-efficacy as well as knowledge as taken into consideration in the training program design. Testing and tracking test scores by individual, group and overall can be used as evidence of clinical documentation strengths and weaknesses.