Despite the fact that pediatric electronic health records (EHRs) need to be designed with specific functionalities to support the work of children health care providers, vendors are paralyzed by meaningful use requirements.
This was among the core findings of a report issued by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ). The report, a “technical brief,” aimed to provide an overview of the state of practice and the current literature around core functionalities for pediatric EHRs.
The researchers found that pediatric EHRs need to have functionalities around vaccination, child development, physiologic medication dosing, pediatric disease management, pediatric norms, and the relationship between pediatric patients and their caregivers. The researchers say that the pediatric EHR must support a longitudinal assessment of child growth development and counseling regarding injury prevention, nutrition, and lifestyle choices. Moreover, vaccine forecasting and management could help on a population and community health level.
The current pediatric EHRs, like much of the industry, are developed and driven by meaningful use requirements. Other driving factors are a desire to support and maintain patient safety and the increasing presence of pediatric-specific clinical quality measures.
