School Nurses Access Pediatric EMR in Delaware

Delaware, the First State, has become the first state to connect a health system with public schools.  According to an article on Newsworks.org, the Red Clay and Milford school districts have teamed up with the Alfred I. DuPont Hospital for Children and the Nemours Children’s Health System with the goal of improving the continuity of care of young patients.  School nurses in these two districts can now access students’ medical records via the health system’s pediatric EMR.

Nurse access to students’ electronic medical records ensures that children with chronic health conditions such as asthma, diabetes and epilepsy that require multiple medication doses are attended to during school hours.  Children oftentimes forget to take medication or feel embarrassed to take it in front of their classmates, so they won’t take it at all.  "I think that if you had a chronic illness that would give you a lot of security when you send your child to school. You're not just putting the inhaler or insulin in their bag and hoping that everything goes well," says pediatric pulmonologist Dr. Katherine King.  Viewing electronic records in real time allows the nurse to stay current with the students’ conditions, medications and dosages.     

  

Secure access to a pediatric EMR from the school informs nurses and teachers about aftercare following a hospital stay, emergency room visit or serious illness through customized pediatric SOAP note templates.  Pediatricians can electronically capture parents’ signatures on consent forms that can be sent directly to the school.  With the adoption of EMR use, schools can also automatically receive doctor’s notes for excused absences as well as sports physical exams.