Health Information Exchange Implications for School Nursing: An Integrative Review.

Abstract

School nurses coordinate care for school-age children with various chronic diseases but rarely are included in access to electronic health records or health information exchanges. This integrative review aimed to obtain evidence-based information on health information exchange (HIE) and health information exchange organizations (HIOs) in the United States and the implications for school nurses. The review found no instances in the published literature of school nurses' access to an HIE through a regional or non-vendor-based HIO. Information from the review was mapped to the four National Association of School Nursing School Nurse Practice Framework^TM principles to provide knowledge on the importance of incorporating HIE in school-based healthcare. These results highlight a gap in identifying the school nurse as an essential use case for regional or national HIOs in care coordination for school-age children. School nurses can learn about HIE, advocate for their access to HIOs, and acknowledge their importance in the care coordination team.