Enhancing paediatric care with digital growth charts
” From our implementation experience, we’ve found that digital growth charts are a key requirement for Secondary Care Trusts/Health Boards that are implementing an Electronic Document Management System (EDMS) and/or certain Electronic Patient Records (EPRs). The challenge we’re often faced with is answering: “Where paper is removed for scanning, or replaced by eForms, how can Paediatric staff plot growth data over time?”
In addressing this, the knowledge held by Harlow around the charts we’ve found is unparalleled. This combined with the software development, integration and implementation support services from Harlow makes for an incredibly swift and effective implementation. Take our last deployment for example; Informed through comprehensive documentation issued by Harlow, once Trust pre-reqs are in place, the implementation, integration and go-live was delivered in just 2 months. This was further complemented by great end-user feedback from clinicians.
We’ve found that AD Integration as well as the ability for staff to launch iGROW, in patient context, from the EDMS/EPRs is a key enabler for optimised user experience. We’ve also seen benefits with outputting a copy of the charts to the main patient record in the EDMS for Subject Access Request Teams as the EDMS presents more of a complete record, without having to access siloed systems. “
” When iGROW came online, I was initially sceptical as to how easy it would be to use. From the first time I tried it, however, I found it extremely easy to navigate and really very intuitive. Entering data is painless and quick and it is impressive to see the new plots appearing almost instantly on the relevant chart. I’d say that it is as quick as plotting measurements on the paper charts, but with the very real bonus that there is less margin for error than with the paper charts, where there is always a risk that a set of measurements will be plotted incorrectly.
Because my special interest is in neurodisability, it is also wonderful that my cohort of children who have Down syndrome is catered for with an electronic version of the specific chart for children with the syndrome.
The product is extremely satisfying to use. Many thanks to you and all the team at Harlow for having developed it. “
” The unanimous feedback from my colleagues regarding the iGROW system is that it has definitely been a positive move. The system is easy to use, quick and is much more preferable to the ad-hoc availability of the paper charts, which is what we had experienced when the paper based notes were replaced by a system of scanned electronic medical records. iGROW operates well, linked to our EDM and it populates the demographic data from EDM well.
We value the way in which the corrected age is calculated and plotted for pre-term infants, much easier and reliable than the manual method.
The back-up from your team, for sorting out some of the teething problems such as duplication of records has been excellent, with fairly quick and effective responses. “
One of the benefits of electronic growth charts is the reduction of incorrect plotting due to human error. Whatever measure is input you can be sure it will be plotted correctly. If measures are input incorrectly then these may be deleted and re-input. The audit trail however records every measure and every update and may not be altered or deleted.
Network access
The network system provides the full functionality needed to
plot and monitor child growth. Access for all Active Directory (AD) authorised users enables the growth chart to be reviewed instantly, potentially reducing incorrect referrals. Data may be imported or exported; if you have existing records in a suitable format they can be imported into iGROW eliminating the need to re-input existing data. The system also includes export functionality enabling further analysis in external packages such as Microsoft® Excel®.
Integration with EPR systems
iGROW uses API technology enabling the application to communicate with existing software. The concept is that the application will work as a ‘plug in’ to your existing child health system, passing previously recorded information to iGROW to facilitate plotting and growth chart display. This functionality eliminates the need to enter patient details twice, as the essential information to enable plotting of the growth charts is simply passed through the API and a plotted chart returned for review. We have integrated with most of the leading EPR systems in use in the UK for Hospitals and Community services.
Monitor patient data over 20 years
iGROW gives you the ability to plot height/weight and calculate the BMI for each newborn or child from the pre-term stage until they are 20 years old. Using the latest UK National Standard Growth Charts, including the UK Down Syndrome Charts, UK Turner Syndrome Charts, Blood Pressure Charts, and the new UK Sitting Height Charts, you are able to plot the data and view the correct chart along with any and all interventions made to the child’s health record.
All data input and/or altered is fully auditable utilising our back office functions. Through the use of assigned individual licences, information entered is then tracked back to the individual user.
iGROW is the only system in the UK which utilises the UK data behind the chart to calculate accurate measurements.
