Power of Data to Support Child Health - Standardized School Health Data Collection

Data that is collected in the course of health care delivery has value beyond its function as documentation of care. It must also be used in a meaningful way to support quality care and to improve the overall health of the population in question. When care delivery data is not collected in a manner that supports these functions, it is necessary to devote resources to alternate means of collecting that information, diverting resources from the provision of care. Data on the health and well-being of school-aged children is collected daily in the course of care delivery in school health rooms throughout the nation – including data on students with chronic health conditions. If collected in a standardized manner to support aggregation on a broad scale, school health data has the potential to create a nationally standardized child health database. This would support evidence-based practice; care coordination; address child health disparities; promote health and illness prevention; permit interoperability with health systems; support effective policy development; improve coordination of children's health and education services; and increase the visibility of school nursing interventions. This session will describe the outcomes of an analysis of state level school health data collection instruments to identify a baseline standardized data set.