Electronic Systems for Student Clinical Records

Proper documentation of a student’s clinical education is a critical component of a diagnostic medical sonography program’s administrative functions. Traditional paper documents have been used for decades to record and verify a student’s clinical training. However, these paper records can rapidly become a paperwork nightmare, especially for large sonographic programs spread over a broad geographical area. This article examines the reasons for keeping accurate clinical records, discusses paper clinical records systems, and reviews some of the new electronic systems for student clinical records that are now emerging in the allied health professions.