Electronic health records in an outpatient breastfeeding medicine clinic

The Institute of Medicine has issued a call for the implementation of computer-based patient records. The purpose of this overview is to describe the content developed for an electronic health record in an outpatient breastfeeding medicine clinic at a pediatric health care facility. Additional features of the computer system, including electronic prescriptions, printed patient handouts, and follow-up telephone notes, utilized in this setting are also described. As more hospital systems and outpatient offices adopt electronic medical record systems, the authors recommend that lactation personnel work with administrators and computer professionals at their institution to incorporate the special needs of an outpatient lactation clinic into their system.