CHDR Protocol

Download Child Health and Development Record Protocol

Child Health and Development Record

I. DEFINITION

The Child Health and Development Record (CHDR) is a book documenting an individual child's health history including immunizations, accidents, and illnesses, as well as developmental milestones from birth through age 18. The CHDR tracks important information related to the child's medical care, growth and development. Mothers and fathers help maintain the CHDR and are asked to bring it to all visits; this helps them become active participants in well child care and develop a greater understanding of their child's development.

Objectives:

Record the child's health and developmental information.
Increase mothers' and fathers' knowledge of their child's health, growth, and development.
Serve as an interactive vehicle for communication between the family and the Healthy Steps^SM team.
Strengthen the relationship between the family and the Healthy Steps team.

II. SPECIFICATIONS

Schedule and Content

1. Receipt of

CHDR.

2. Content of the CHDR. The CHDR is composed of several parts. There is a section for each well child visit, providing space to: (a) record information from the child's health checkup; (b) write down questions and concerns; (c) keep notes of suggestions made by the practice; and (d) record the child's achievements. Another section includes a checklist of developmental milestones. Other sections provide space to chronicle: the family medical history; immunizations; growth; food intake; teething; illnesses, allergies, and accidents; and appointments with the Healthy Steps practice for office or home visits.

3. Updating the CHDR. Mothers and fathers are asked to bring the CHDR to all medical (well child, sick, and emergency care) visits. The Healthy Steps medical staff updates growth and immunization charts. The Healthy Steps Specialist reviews developmental checklists; this may be completed during home visits with the family. To promote an increased understanding of the child's growth and development and provide an atmosphere conducive to asking questions, Healthy Steps staff will update and review the CHDR with the family during home and office visits.

Reference

Strategies for Change: Child Development in Primary Care for Young Children

C. Documentation for Implementation: All medical information recorded in the CHDR should match information recorded in the medical records.

III. EXPECTED OUTCOMES (EXAMPLES)

Mothers and fathers will come to well child visits with prepared questions.
Mothers and fathers will show greater understanding and awareness to their child's health, growth, and development.

IV. MEASURES FOR HEALTHY STeps CHILD HEALTH AND DEVELOPMENT RECORD (PARTIAL LIST)

Includes entries on child's health, immunizations, illnesses, and development made by mother and father and/or Healthy Steps Specialist.
Parental satisfaction.
Provider finds record useful and completes entries.
Record is accurate and corresponds to the medical record.

The Healthy Steps services were originally developed as program requirements for use in the national evaluation phase of the program. In order to ensure the integrity of the evaluation, all sites needed to implement Healthy Steps in virtually the same manner. Because evaluation concerns will not affect new practices beginning Healthy Steps operations, these practices will have considerable flexibility in shaping their Healthy Steps programs. New practices should therefore use these protocols as guidance in their decision making.