Having updated student medical records is one of the easiest ways to protect your students. Counselors, teachers, and administrators should be aware of a student’s health condition in case of an emergency or sudden illness.
Westen High School, a public high school in the Detroit area, had a scary student situation on September 30. A student reported not feeling well, and then "disappeared" some time after lunch. Principal Rodolfo Diaz said the student made it through his morning classes and lunch and then disappeared.
It turns out that the student was diabetic and what was thought to be an innocent case of feeling under the weather could have been very serious.
The school hadn’t received an updated medical report from the family and had no previous record of a health condition for the student. In fact, the school reports that out of 1,500 students, 450 are new and only half of the new families have returned the medical evaluation forms. Read more about Western High School here.
Another student record problem this fall comes from Colorado State University. According to an e-mail sent to students on September 20, between 750–1,500 medical records could have incorrect immunization information relating to pertussis (whooping cough).
Before 2005, students had to get three separate vaccinations guarding against whooping cough, tetanus, and diphtheria. After 2005, all three vaccines were combined, called Tdap. The CSU Health Network interpreted Td shots (the single vaccine against tetanus) taken after 2005 as Tdap shots, reasoning that students actually meant to write down Tdap on their medical records.
Although they’re estimating that fewer than 5% of the 15,000 records they’re reviewing have anything wrong with them, there are still some instances where students are not vaccinated against whooping cough. The campus is confident that the health network will be able to recover from the mistake and there is no disciplinary action being taken against students who input the information incorrectly. However, there is still reason to be alarmed and students must review and resubmit their medical records. You can read more about the CSU mix up here.
Having updated medical records on file is an important risk management resource. Whooping cough has made a considerable come back over the past few years (in 2004, reported cases spiked to 25,000, the highest level since the 1950s), and students not vaccinated against the potentially fatal virus are at extreme risk because of the highly contagious nature of the bacteria. Some colleges and schools are turning away unvaccinated students. But, it’s not just updated vaccinations you need to have on file. Knowing about student allergies, illnesses, medications, and certain conditions, as well as obtaining written consent to treat can make a profound difference in the event of an emergency or sudden sickness.
Before the school year rolls into the bustle of the holiday season, share with parents the potential risk they’re putting their child in by not completing an updated medical evaluation form. It is their responsibility to complete and return the information to you—make sure they’re aware of the risks of failing to be compliant.
ISM Partnerships At Work:
ISM has established a partnership with Magnus Health SMR (Student Medical Record). Magnus is a Web-based student medical record database that allows parents to enter, update, and manage information regarding their child’s medical history electronically. Imagine an end to endless hours of data-entry! This system allows the right administrators, counselors, and teachers quick access to a student file in case of an emergency. You can learn more about Magnus Health SMR here.
Additional ISM Articles of Interest:
ISM Monthly Update for Risk Managers Vol. 1 No. 4 Managing Risk, Liability, and Student Medical Records
For Consortium Members:
To The Point Vol. 9 No. 1 The Risk Management Audit: Where Are You Now?
