My DD is heading off to a NJ boarding school this fall and I’m wondering if I’m alone in my frustration with the pile of health forms that her school is insisting be filled out and signed by her PCP. Don’t get me wrong, I fully understand the need for them to have the forms and her medical information. What I don’t understand is why, for example, the school is insisting (and they are insisting) that her immunizations be transcribed from a perfectly legible electronically certified/signed list into a form that invites transcription errors and/or illegible entries. In the age of electronic records, why the extra hassle of appointments that are difficult to get (my daughters PCP is booked 3 months out) necessitating urgent care visits ($$) to fill out forms by a provider who doesn’t know her when all the info they need is readily downloadable off her electronic chart. That’s my rant. First world problems, I know! But I am wondering what are other schools requiring? Are any schools out there allowing downloaded records from their child’s doctors?
Nothing is ever readily downloadable off an electronic chart. Each EMR is different. Each EMR has quirks. Each EMR has the potential for not being accessible that day. And then there are the HIPAA rules, which are especially Byzantine for the adolescent age group.
I am a doctor. Trust me, you want your kid’s important health info to be available to the school in some way other than the EMR.
For many reasons, not least of which is HIPAA, particularly as it relates to a minor, I certainly hope not.
As you said, these are first world problems
I actually don’t understand this either. At each annual physical, pediatrician’s office produces a signed typewritten letter (as a pdf) with all the information that schools and camps want for enrollment including a summary of the physical, immunizations, health conditions and a statement that the kid is fine for school, all sports, and activities. I can also download (as a pdf) a more detailed health history from the pediatrician’s portal. While most of my kids’ schools have accepted a copy of this letter either printed or the pdf, there was one school and several camps that demanded that I handwrite (in my terrible handwriting) all of that information onto a paper form. Then I had to get the piece of paper signed in person at the pediatrician’s office and have it faxed or mailed to the school. Presumably once it arrives at the school, someone then copies the information from the piece of paper into their data keeping system. I just don’t see how such a process doesn’t introduce more errors and “typos” in the final record than at the other schools and camps, which are willing to accept the typewritten letter with electronic signature from the doctor.
The flip side is that my kids have never attended a school or camp that directly downloads records from the pediatrician. I was not even aware that such a thing was a possibility. I have always had to do some middle-man work to get it from doctor’s office to school. But the vast majority of them have taken the pdf or a printed copy of the pdf. I really don’t understand the point of having a parent handwrite the information.
The bane of my existence, I hate medical forms for school. Rant away.
Didn’t mean to imply that the school could download the records. But having the option of submitting a downloaded PDF of her last physical doesn’t seem unreasonable, if it does cover all the info they want on their form. I’m a doctor too. Have tons of first hand knowledge of HIPPA and filling out these forms for camps/schools/jobs. The requirement for the immunization record to be handwritten is what boggles my mind the most. Anyhoo, was mostly wondering if this was “industry standard” for boarding schools, or if my dd’s school is behind the times.
Well, you could try writing “see attached” and attaching the PDF file. You might get nowhere, but then again, it might work, especially as they are not asking you to populate a screen that will feed into their system (i.e., making you the data entry clerk.)
My employer uses systems that would reject that approach – they want the person doing the input to do all the “interpretation” AND be the data entry clerk. It’s maddening.
I tried that, which is how I found out that they wouldn’t accept it… prompting the rant! Appreciate the suggestion and the solidarity tho!
Some doctors’ offices have staff to fill out immunization forms for a extra fee - allow a few days for processing.
Colleges request their own forms be completed, as well.
Hi there
I know it is annoying, time consuming and potentially costly.
However, do you want someone trying to find a particularly critical piece of information regarding your child to be not seen by the treating practitioner because of the (potentially) custom layout or idiosyncratic nature of the source document?
My thoughts are take the time and effort to give the school the correct information in a format that they know and understand.
hi—
i’m heading to an NJ school in the fall and i had a similar issue with the health forms (namely, my vaccination record)
we had some back and forth due to some confusing about me receiving a certain vaccine that i had already gotten but for some reason the form was rejected because it said i hadn’t gotten it yet
when we went back in june for my annual physical i just had them print out a new form and it was done but i wish it was possible for my mom to just give them my doctor’s info and have the stuff be done through there— it’s especially a pain because i have a few other conditions that all warrant separate forms so it ends up being a few hundred dollars extra… maybe it’s a NJ thing? we had to fill out an NJ state specific form so maybe they’re stricter than other states