Health Systems and Health Care
Health care providers treat injuries, but they are also partners in prevention through
health care systems. While responding to and treating trauma, health care providers are
critical for accurately documenting external causes of injuries and circumstances. Beyond
the clinical setting, health care providers are credible advocates for child safety and can
facilitate change in communities and families. Health care systems can address child injury
by providing anticipatory guidance to health care providers and collecting clinical data.
Trends and changes to health care delivery models, including adoption of electronic
medical records, the medical home model, and quality improvement efforts should all be
utilized to augment injury reduction goals and objectives by improving data collection
while also ensuring quality and continuity of medical care for children. Best practices for
delivery of preventive services should be identified and disseminated. Furthermore, opportunities
exist for new technologies and information systems to improve injury
outcomes. Information systems can equip providers with evidence-based data and
protocols to strengthen the quality of clinical decision-making and improve trauma care.
Some of the actions suggested include incorporating child injury risk assessment into
home visitation programs, creating injury prevention quality measures that apply to the
medical home, and using linked data systems to improve treatment decisions