computerized charting

bergren · Oct 26, 2010

It costs a ton of $$$$ in training to switch systems. Why drop a program people like? Look for funding to keep that system.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 26, 2010

They're dropping STI - which we had moved away from in the health offices last year and now getting rid of for attendance and scheduling and so forth. The new programs are going to come with a medical module at no extra cost. From what i've seen of them, i don't like them as much as healthmaster. All seem clunky and difficult - though to be fair i got very brief and very interrupted presentations. Cripes - can't even leave my office for an hour!

Jolie, BSN · Oct 26, 2010

The new programs are going to come with a medical module at no extra cost. From what i've seen of them, i don't like them as much as healthmaster. All seem clunky and difficult - though to be fair i got very brief and very interrupted presentations. Cripes - can't even leave my office for an hour!

That sounds typical. Our district uses Powerschool, which may be fantastic for educational applications, but next to useless for school health. Of course it was sold that way....Look! We'll throw in health modules with the program!

Our district programmer has spent countless hours working with the nurses to alter the application. We're fortunate that she is very dedicated to making this not only workable, but useful. I can't help but wonder what it has cost the district in man-hours alone.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 27, 2010

they are focusing on the fact that the programs will talk to one another and will send things like allergy alerts to the cafeteria staff. Oh, and also the reduction in cost for maintaining the health master licenses. i understand their point, but hate to move away from a system that we all like and is working for us. Surely there must be other sources of "superfluous spending" that can be eliminated to keep one consistent system for our data.

Jolie, BSN · Oct 27, 2010

they are focusing on the fact that the programs will talk to one another and will send things like allergy alerts to the cafeteria staff.

I'd be very careful about a program designed to "share" health-related information, espcially if it's done automatically. We've had parents expressly forbid the sharing of information regarding dietary restrictions and health related conditions (including Celiac Disease and Diabetes) with cafeteria workers. There was quite a brouha-ha when the assistant principal shared a student's history of diabetes with the lunch room supervisor out of genuine concern for the student's well-being. The parents became outraged over the invasion of their child's privacy. In order to settle them down, we had to write a new policy requiring a parent's signature before any health information could be added to a student's lunch account or disclosed in any way to the lunch room workers. It is not considered to be a "need to know" for the lunch room workers, only the educational staff who are present in the lunch room.

Student health needs (including allergies) are kept in the nurse's office and may be accessed on an as-needed basis by educational staff with direct responsibility for the student. So if a child has an apparent allergic reaction when the nurse isn't in the building, the faculty member supervising the lunch room at the time would be allowed to access that file.

This was at the middle school where students are more independent and also more sensitive to privacy issues. I've never had an elementary school parent who was unwilling to reveal this information to the cafeteria workers.

Flare, ASN, BSN · Oct 27, 2010

that was one of my primary concerns - granted i don't have many students that have something worth sharing with the food services AND no permission to share, but there are one or two. Of course when i asked the software people about this they all told me I could mark off who's information was not to be shared.

I'm just still of the mindset of what we're doing ain't broke so don't try and fix it.