Standardizing Processes and Care for Pediatric Patients Case Studies

Akron Children’s Hospital was named a 2019 HIMSS Davies Enterprise Award recipient for leveraging the value of health information and technology to improve outcomes as demonstrated in the following healthcare case study overviews. From creating standardized guidelines and utilizing innovative population health tools to creating comprehensive treatment pathways in their EHR, here’s how one healthcare organization successfully innovated to provide better, safer patient care.

Case Studies

1. Reducing Narcotic Prescriptions for Pediatric Post-Operative Patients With Standardized Guidelines at Discharge

With the ongoing opioid epidemic facing the U.S., health systems everywhere are looking to update their prescribing practices in ways that better protect patient safety and improve population health. That’s why this Davies award-winning hospital developed an EMR-based quality initiative aimed at measuring and analyzing physician prescribing practices. The data collected was used to develop new standardized guidelines used for discharging pediatric post-operative patients, with a goal of reducing overall narcotic prescriptions.

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2. Utilizing Population Health Information and Technology Tools to Improve Lead Screening Rates

Upon realizing that only 71% of their patients were screened for lead toxicity at one year of age and only 41% at two years of age, Akron Children’s Hospital knew it was essential to integrate state-of-the-art population health tools into their EHR to improve their screening rates. These tools allowed them to improve the overall screening process for lead toxicity and to care for those affected in a timelier manner.

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3. Transformative Idiopathic Scoliosis Comprehensive Treatment Pathway

The orthopedic surgery group at Akron Children’s Hospital recognized there was tremendous variation in the preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative care of patients with idiopathic scoliosis. The group needed to update these so they could standardize care and optimize value for patients by providing improved pain control, expediting recovery and decreasing length of stay—all without negatively impacting readmission rates. Read the organization’s 2019 Davies Award story to learn more about this healthcare case study.

Updated March 6, 2020