Effect of reinforced audit and feedback intervention on physician behaviour: a multifaceted strategy for targeting medical record documentation

We investigated the effects of reinforced audit and feedback on the medical record documentation (MRD) of 35 surgical residents at a tertiary university hospital. In three phases (pre intervention, 3 and 9-month post intervention), 525 medical records were assessed. An educational guideline assisting residents to record more accurate MRD was developed. The MRD rate in the pre-intervention and immediate post-intervention phases had changed significantly. The MRD rate in the pre-intervention and 9 months after cessation of intervention was not statistically significant. Reinforced audit and feedback had only a short term effect on MRD. To achieve long lasting change, we suggest residents’ MRD behaviour must be integrated in their periodic clinical performance evaluation and reinforced through positive feedback including incentive mechanisms.