Childhood obesity: Can electronic medical records customized with clinical practice guidelines improve screening and...

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Health
• Health Informatics
• Public Health

Background:

• Childhood obesity is a significant public health concern requiring effective screening and management strategies.
• Electronic Medical Records (EMR) offer potential for improving clinical workflows and adherence to guidelines.
• National guidelines exist for the prevention, screening, and treatment of childhood overweight and obesity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate if customizing EMR with evidence-based guidelines enhances obesity screening and diagnosis in children aged 7-18.
• To assess the impact of EMR customization on the documentation of Body Mass Index (BMI), growth charts, and risk questionnaires.

Main Methods:

• Retrospective review of patient encounters before and after EMR customization in a community health center.
• Comparison of data for BMI documentation, growth chart completion, risk questionnaire scoring, and obesity diagnosis.
• Utilized data from encounters for children aged 7 to 18 years.

Main Results:

• EMR customization led to increased frequency of BMI recording, growth chart completion, and risk questionnaire scoring.
• The number of children diagnosed with overweight or obesity significantly increased post-EMR customization.
• Despite improvements, diagnosed obesity rates remained below actual community prevalence.

Conclusions:

• Customizing EMR with clinical practice guidelines improves adherence to childhood obesity screening and identification recommendations.
• Enhanced recognition and diagnosis are crucial steps toward implementing effective interventions for childhood obesity.
• Further efforts are needed to bridge the gap between diagnosed and actual obesity rates in the community.