This module will guide you through:
- Downloading + Installing the Electronic reminder file for car seat education
- Using the Electronic Health Record (EHR) software
After our car seat distribution program had been up and running for a couple of years, we decided to take our efforts to the next level. I knew the Not-Tsoo Gah-Nee Indian Health Center that serves the Shoshone-Bannock Tribes had a reminder in their electronic health record system for car seat education. I liked that it was systematic and built into the well-child visits. But, I didn’t expect the providers to keep up on the latest car seat recommendations, and it seemed like a pain to update the education information in the EHR every time recommendations change. Because I’m a CPS Tech, I prefer to do the education myself since I am required to keep up on the latest and greatest in the car seat realm. Plus, I want to check that the car seats are not expired, and ideally make sure the car seat fits both the child and the car correctly. The best way to do this was to create a reminder and/or referral in RPMS to set up a consult order with me.
At the next clinic staff meeting, we talked about setting this up and how it would work. Everybody was pretty much on board. Our Clinical Applications Coordinator (CAC) installed the reminder in just a couple of minutes, and at that point things were up and running. We held a mini training for our medical staff i.e. Providers, nurses, CNA’s, MA’s to explain the new process and the RPMS patch.
Now, going forward, the biggest challenge is reminding the CNAs or MAs to click the Consult box when it comes up. My advice for anyone doing this is to really work with the medical assistants on this, since they are the first person to see the patient and having them be consistent with responding to the EHR reminder is key.
The way we typically use this at Nimiipuu is when the reminder comes up in RPMS and the clinic staff knows I’m in the office, they’ll call me to see if I can come over and meet with the parent and child right then. Otherwise, the system prints out the consult, and the staff puts it in my box, and I have all the information I need to contact the parent and set up a time to meet with them about car seats. The process has worked out great when the reminder key is utilized. It’s rewarding to know we have another avenue to reach kids and parents and get them in to the right seat!
To do this activity, you will need assistance from your Clinical Informatics or clinic site team.
A clinic’s or hospital’s patient Electronic Health Record (EHR) system can alert a provider to counsel the parent or guardian on child passenger restraints when a child is brought in for a well child or health care visit. This alert is available through a downloadable file that works with a clinic’s or hospital’s RPMS Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. Use of the alerts can open up another important avenue for child passenger safety education that can have a big impact in your community.
The alert reminds providers once of year of applicable child safety seat guidelines for a child’s age and size. For children up to age 2-years-old, the alert reminds health care staff to stress the need to stay in a rear-facing car seat. The reminder is also active for children ages 2-13-years-old. It reminds patients and caregivers of car seat guidelines related to the child’s size. Finally, the alert will note if caregivers own an appropriate car seat, so information on distribution programs can be shared when useful. If the child is taller than 4’9″ and under 13-years-old, the provider can verify that the child is still restrained in an adult seat belt in the back seat of the vehicle.
Functions
- The dialog includes a link to the most recent guidelines on car seat usage
- The reminder is resolved by documenting one of the car seat education codes that are available in the dialog or in the education component of the EHR
- The dialog also offers the ability to order an internal EHR consult or referral to certified car seat technicians in the clinic’s organization; the consult can be set up locally and ideally, the car seat technicians are also completing the consult process when car seats are distributed to families
Using these tools – data is recorded in RPMS and reports can be run to show:
- How many times clinic staff are documenting car seat education codes
- How many consults are made to car seat technicians
- How many of those consults are completed
Indian Health Services (IHS) and other health programs have specific billing codes for this type of service; “Health Education” is the category used for these types of prevention and education services.