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Typing Proficiency among Physicians in Internal Medicine: A Pilot Study of Speed and Performance

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Electronic health records (EHRs) are widely implemented and consume nearly half of physicians' work time. Despite the importance of efficient data entry, physicians' typing skills—potential contributors to documentation burden—remain poorly studied. This study aims to evaluate the typing skills of physicians and their associations with demographic characteristics and professional roles. This cross-sectional pilot study included a convenience sample of physicians (residents, chief residents, and attending physicians) from the internal medicine division of an academic hospital. Participants completed a 1-minute typing test under supervised conditions. The primary outcome was raw typing speed, measured in words per minute (WPM). The secondary outcome was a performance score calculated by subtracting 50 points for each error from the total number of characters typed per minute. Participation rate was 100% (82/82 physicians). The mean age was 33.7 ± 7.3 years; 7.2 ± 7.1 years since graduation; and 45.1% female. The mean typing speed was 53.4 WPM (range: 31–91 WPM), with 57.3% (47/82) of participants exceeding 50 WPM, a threshold commonly considered professional. Bivariate analysis showed a significant negative association with age (Spearman's ρ = −0.281, p = 0.011), which was not sustained in the multivariable analysis. No significant association was observed with sex, country of diploma, or role. Upon multivariable analysis, performance score showed a significant negative association with age (β = −17.724, p = 0.009) but a positive association with years since graduation (β = 16.850, p = 0.021), suggesting a generation- and experience-related interaction. Nearly half of physicians exhibited professional-level typing skills, yet overall performance varied widely and was influenced by both generational factors and clinical experience. Given that documentation burden affects clinicians across all skill levels, both individual and systemic strategies—such as improved EHR design and alternative input methods—should be explored.

Source: Applied Clinical Informatics

DOI: 10.1055/a-2620-3147

Authors: Francois Bastardot, Vanessa Kraege, Julien Castioni, Alain Petter, David W. Bates, Antoine Garnier