Healthcare Informatics in Primary Care Pediatrics

The focus of this assignment is to increase your knowledge and understanding of how informatics, specifically the electronic medical record, improves the pediatric patient health outcomes. Caring for the pediatric patient has unique elements that are not applicable in the adult population. Examples are growth and development surveillance, vaccine records, transitional changes that affect “normal findings” by age group. For example, the normal respiratory rate of a newborn is significantly different from a 10-year-old. Additionally, pediatric healthcare providers are expected to educate parents with “anticipatory guidance” according to the age of the patient. For this assignment, you are expected to analyze the utilization of the EMR that you are using in your clinical practicum and evaluate how this particular EMR system is improving health outcomes. For example, does the EMR that you are using have mechanisms in place that track growth and development, which has led to early identification of abnormals?

This assignment has three parts.

The first part is identifying the recommended pediatric-specific functionalities of the EMR system you are using. The template will guide you through the first part of the assignment by addressing a sample of key functionalities.

Part 2 addresses some basic functions that would be recommended in any non-specific EMR.

Part 3 asks you to discuss how your system is addressing certain outcomes such as safety, collaboration, and the prevention of medication errors.

Template attached

Answer preview

Pediatric-Specific Functionalities of the EMR you are using

Is this function available in your EMR?

Is a tracking function available such as vaccination history, history of referrals with final reports?

Are there built in alerts to the provider such as a missed vaccination? Allergies? Potential Medication interactions?

Is there an area to document and monitor special needs, circumstances, or unique qualities of patient?

 

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