School Health Documentation

Background

The records that school nurses keep in their daily care of over 95% of U.S. school-aged children provide an important window into child health in our nation.  Records are being kept on students who are well (screening, immunization, and episodic health room care); and students with chronic health conditions (emergency care planning; daily treatment and response data for students with conditions such as asthma; severe allergies; seizure disorders; and Type I Diabetes).  School nurses also maintain health records on students who fall outside the typical health care provider systems and whose only source of care may be the school nurse.

Students from the most diverse and complex clinical settings come to school and require care that must be coordinated with acute care records in order to assure efficient, effective care, making schools an effective partner for Accountable Care Organizations.

In addition, school health data provides the potential to determine the most effective interventions to support the well being of children. There is potential to analyze this data at both the individual and population level to understand the links between health and education as well as the links between health interventions and outcomes.

Electronic Documentation Systems

NASN Resources

National Association of School Nurses. (2019). Electronic health records: An essential tool in keeping students healthy (Position Statement). Silver Spring, MD: Author.

Tips for Selecting an Electronic Documentation System

Other Resources

Alliance for Nursing Informatics 

Consumer eHealth Fact Sheet

Healthcare Information and Management Systems (HIMSS)

HealthIT.gov

Health IT For You video

U.S. Department of Health & Human Services: Health Information Privacy, Your Rights Under HIPAA

Page updated September 2019.