COMMITMENT | to patients and the future
TECHNOLOGY AND COMMUNICATION
It takes more than pediatric expertise and
compassionate caregivers to treat patients. The
use of advanced technology also plays a role in
caregivers’ decision making.
EMR
An electronic medical records (EMR) system is
a vital tool that connects the various aspects
of patient care, giving pediatric specialists and
pediatricians the most up-to-date information
about when a patient saw a specialist, or had a
vaccination, for example. “If a child is seen in a
Baylor Scott & White emergency room in Round
Rock while visiting Grandma, I can immediately
see the details of what happened there,” says
Dr. Ransom.
This transparency saves valuable time for
physicians, who don’t need to spend time trying
to call or e-mail a specialist who the child
has seen in Temple. “It’s almost instantaneous
communication,” Dr. Boyd says. “The ability to
see all that data is immensely valuable to the
care of the patient.”
providers of McLane Children’s
subscribe to a model of care called
the “patient-centered medical home.”
This means a child’s primary care
pediatrician is that “home,” the
point person for a patient’s care who
looks after the child’s regular office
visits, decides when a child needs
to see a specialist, and subsequently
coordinates such care. Dr. Ransom
sees it as a gatekeeper function.
Appointments at a pediatrician’s
office fall into two broad categories,
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MyChart
Technology also plays an important role for
parents. The online patient portal called
MyChart allows parents to track and schedule
appointments, review laboratory test results,
submit medication refill requests, or send a quick
message to their child’s pediatrician. “That’s
been hugely successful and hugely valuable to
patient care,” says Dr. Berg. Dr. Ransom adds,
“We don’t have to play phone tag with parents in
order to communicate about their child’s care.”
SkyLight
Skylight, an interactive television in patients’
hospital rooms, allows them to order food or
watch informational or entertainment programs.
Technology plays a role in making sure children
stay in touch with loved ones, too. “We also have
the ability to Skype in parents and loved ones
from all over the world,” says Dr. Boyd, who
added that a patient recently had a Skype visit
with her dad, who was deployed overseas with
the military.
well checks and sick visits. Well checks
are regular visits to ensure that a child
is meeting developmental milestones,
receiving immunizations, and remaining
healthy. “Pediatricians love to keep
everyone well,” Dr. Berg says. As the
tide of the American healthcare system
moves toward preventive medicine and
wellness, Mrs. Hansen says, “other
disciplines are just starting to catch
up with pediatrics. We’ve always been
focused on prevention and helping
children live healthier childhoods.”
Sick visits are exactly that—
appointments when a child is
experiencing a cold or flu, or some other
malady. Pediatricians also monitor
the treatment of chronic conditions,
such as asthma or allergies. McLane
Children’s pediatricians frequently
see patients with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and
obesity, and also help manage other
serious conditions, such as kidney
disease or blood disorders.
No matter how minor or how