1. Walden University Carrie Vanzant February 7, 2010
Elementary School Nurses: Monitoring Health via Electronic Health Records
Walden University
Carrie Vanzant
February 7, 2010

2. Objectives Current Challenges Need / Solution
What is an Electronic Health Record (EHR)
What are the EHR Benefits and Usage
Next Steps

3. Current Challenges Time Spent Monitoring Chronic Disease Asthma
Diabetes
Communication of Health Data
Receiving Data
Sending Data
Readily Available Access

4. Current Challenges: Chronic Disease Time Management
Asthma = 1/3 of Nurse Time
What is it
Chronic respiratory disease most common in children.
(CDC, 2009)
Prevalence
In 2007 Nationwide 7.7% diagnosed in US with 10M being children ages 0-17
(EPA, 2009)
Influences
Asthma triggers: Tobacco smoke, Dust mites, Outdoor air pollution, Pet dander, Mold, Pollen,
Diabetes = 1/3 of Nurse Time
What is it
Type 1: Diet management
Type 2: Insulin dependent
(CDC, 2009)
Prevalence
More than 13,000 cases in children diagnosed each year.
Influences
Complications: Heart disease, High blood pressure, Blindness, Kidney disease.
(ADA, 2010)

5. Current Challenges: Communication
Receiving Health Data
Immunization updates
Medication
Administration information
Allergies
Provider treatment plan
Diets
Activity Monitoring
Physical Needs
Behavioral Therapy
Sending Health Data
Free Programs
i.e. Mobile dental van
School Care Knowledge
Delayed or inaccurate
Treatment Plan Results
Diets
Activity Monitoring
Physical Needs
Behavioral Therapy

6. Current Challenges: Readily Available Access
School Nurse office manages all health data information in the child’s health record manual file
Family
Collects paper information from various healthcare entities (i.e. ER, doctor visit), articles of research, combined with bills and lab/x-ray results
Doctor
Information is collected in either an electronic or paper chart and stored at the facility

7. Need / Solution
Save Time, Increase Communication and have Readily Available Access
EHR can help:
Single storage place for all data
Create emergency plan
Improve communication
Privilege access control
Data accuracy enabled (i.e. auto upload)
Preventative alerts
and more
(EPA, 2009)

8. What is an E.H.R.
Electronic Health Record vs. Electronic Medical Record
EHR and EMR differentiation
EHR: Person centric all encompassing
EMR: Healthcare (i.e. clinic) focused application
An EHR allows one to capture and organize tests, results, prescriptions, treatment plans, etc across medical, dental, behavioral health, allergist, pediatrician, compiling all personal defined important data in one area.

9. Information within an EHR
What influences health?
The Electronic Health Record
Medical diagnosis
Genetic make-up
Clinical procedures
Mental/Physical stresses
Socioeconomic influences
Education
Native language
Etc, etc, etc

10. EHR Benefits and Usage Early detection of potential
mental/behavioral needs
dental needs
vision needs
medical needs
Chronic care management
(e.g. weight, activity, food intake, etc)
Bridge communication gap
Family
Provider

11. Benefits and Usage: School Nurse
Track student’s health longitudinally
Know who diagnosed the student with what, when
Have data at your fingertips
Child’s last immunization information
Child’s medication list
Child’s allergies and triggers
Child’s recent laboratory results
Child’s treatment plan
Keep track of all of the child’s caregivers contact information
Communicate with the provider and parent via EHR

12. Benefits and Usage: Significance on Healthcare
School Nurse
Family / Healthcare Provider
Save time
Improve communication
Decision support information
Collaborative effort
Increase health management
Accuracy of information
Longevity perspective
Holistic perception
Save Time
Improve communication
Efficiency of care
Collaborative effort
Accuracy of information
Longevity perspective
Holistic perspective
Treatment plan decisions

13. Benefits and Usage: Integration and Communication
Search qualified health databases: download relevant health information (i.e. latest research on Diabetes management)
Auto or manually upload discrete data values from healthcare devices
Allow access to pull from or send to other electronic healthcare devices

14. Benefits and Usage: Chronic Management Diabetes
Bridging the gap
Diabetes Management
Expected Outcomes
disease management
negative experiences
educational focus
knowledge of disease

15. Benefits and Usage: Chronic Management Asthma
Asthma Management
Outcomes
disease management
episodes or attacks
disease awareness

16. Next Steps Determine what benefits and usage best meet your needs
Select an EHR to monitor your student population (some are free)
Build profiles for each student (replacing current manual charts)
Educate families on the benefits of student continuity care
Encourage family and student usage
Identify their needs and benefits
Encourage the student’s provider usage
Create and educate student specific Action Plan
Educate and train relevant staff

17. Thank you
Questions and Answers

18. References
 American Diabetes Association.(ADA). (2010). Diabetes statistics. Retrieved from
on January 23, 2010.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2008). Diabetes project. Retrieved from
on January 23, 2010.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009). Asthma: basic information. Retrieved from on January 22, 2010.
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). (2009). Asthma triggers. Retrieved from on February,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2009). Asthma action plan. Retrieved from on February 5, 2010.
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2009). Asthma prevalence. Retrieved from on February 6, 2010.