Pediatric EHR Considerations: Meeting Unique Needs
What pediatric practices should look for in an EHR, from growth tracking and immunizations to guardian access and adolescent confidentiality.
Pediatric care differs from adult care in ways an EHR needs to support: children grow, follow a vaccine schedule, reach developmental milestones and usually come with one or more parents or guardians. If you're choosing an EHR for a pediatric practice, check these areas carefully.
Unique Pediatric Needs
Growth and Development
- Growth charts that plot weight, length or height, and head circumference automatically
- The right reference charts for age (the CDC recommends WHO growth charts for children under 2 and CDC charts from age 2)
- BMI-for-age percentiles
- Developmental milestone tracking and screening at recommended ages
- School, camp and sports forms generated from the chart
Immunizations
- Tracking against the current recommended schedule
- Two-way connection with your state immunization registry
- Catch-up schedule support for children who are behind
- Reminders for upcoming or overdue vaccines
Family Access
- Portal access for parents and guardians, with support for more than one guardian
- Clear handling of custody and consent arrangements
- Access that changes as the child grows, including adolescent privacy
Specialized Documentation
- Well-child visit templates by age
- Sports physicals
- Validated screening tools for development, autism and behavioral concerns
- ADHD assessment workflows, including rating scales from parents and teachers
Adolescent Confidentiality
Teens can often consent to certain care on their own, such as some mental health, reproductive and substance use services, and state laws vary on what parents may see. Your EHR and portal should let you keep confidential information out of parent-facing views. Review your state's rules and set your portal policies before you turn on guardian access.
Questions to Ask Vendors
- Which growth charts and percentile calculations are built in?
- Does the system connect to our state immunization registry, and in which direction?
- How are guardian accounts, multiple guardians and adolescent privacy handled?
- Which pediatric templates and screeners are included?
A Note on Jogaza
Jogaza EHR is built for psychiatric and behavioral health practices, not general pediatrics. It doesn't include growth charts, immunization tracking or developmental milestone tracking, and its patient portal doesn't support family or dependent accounts. If you run a pediatric primary care practice, look for an EHR designed for pediatrics.