Health Information Exchange Implications for School Nursing: An Integrative Review

Area of Science:

• Nursing Informatics
• Public Health
• Health Information Technology

Background:

• School nurses manage care for children with chronic conditions.
• Current healthcare systems rarely include school nurses in electronic health records (EHRs) or health information exchanges (HIEs).
• This exclusion hinders effective care coordination for students.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review evidence on health information exchange (HIE) and health information exchange organizations (HIOs) in the US.
• To explore the implications of HIE/HIOs for school nurses.
• To identify barriers and opportunities for school nurse participation in HIE.

Main Methods:

• Integrative literature review.
• Searched for published studies on HIE, HIOs, and school nurses in the US.
• Mapped findings to the National Association of School Nursing School Nurse Practice Framework.

Main Results:

• No published instances found of school nurses accessing HIEs via regional or non-vendor-based HIOs.
• Identified a gap in recognizing school nurses as essential users for HIEs in pediatric care coordination.
• Demonstrated the relevance of HIE to school nursing practice through the NASN framework.

Conclusions:

• School nurses are currently excluded from vital health information exchange networks.
• Advocacy for school nurse inclusion in HIEs is necessary for improved student health outcomes.
• School nurses need education and support to engage with and advocate for HIE access.