Brief History

All Kids Count is funded by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) to foster development of information systems that improve children’s health. From 1992 to 2000, RWJF funded projects in cities, counties and states across the country to develop computerized immunization registries that included accurate, up-to-date information on all doses of all vaccines for all children in the community . Under the guidance of All Kids Count, their goal was to demonstrate the ability of these projects to help manage immunization information and sustain immunization rates.

All Kids Count is now building on this experience. In Fall 2000, it began a three-year effort that expands its focus to address systems that integrate information about multiple health services for children.

Current Challenge and Opportunity

To provide the best medical care, doctors and nurses need accurate, timely information about the care each child receives from the moment he or she is born. Especially important are critical services such as immunizations and screenings – including newborn metabolic, lead and hearing – to detect conditions or diseases that can cause disability. Too often, however, the information about the services these children receive and the delivery of services are disconnected, so children do not receive the recommended services and follow-up care.

All Kids Count’s goal is to develop a “road map” on how to integrate child health information systems to consolidate data about the multiple health care services a child receives into information that is useful to the child’s medical home provider and to public health authorities.

Vision

When fully developed, integrated health information systems will:

• Provide authorized health professionals and others who administer child services (e.g., schools, WIC, Head Start) wilth confidential, timely access to a consolidated record containing information on the health services each child receives, including but not limited to immunizations, newborn metabolic screening, and hearing and lead screening.
  
• Provide public health officials, employers, insurers and policymakers with aggregate health care data about the children in their communities to assist them in making decisions affecting the health of their communities.
• Provide doctors and nurses with reminders and other decision-support information, at the point of care, that enables timely prevention and therapeutic intervention.
• Help identify children with unmet needs and ensure that they have a medical home, receive appropriate and timely screening and follow-up care, and are referred to other appropriate child and family support services.
• Improve the efficiency of all those who use health data by streamlining information flow and eliminating redundant data entry and multiple systems.

All Kids Count
750 Commerce Drive, Suite 400 • Decatur, Georgia 30030
TEL: 1.800.874.4338 • FAX: 1.800.765.7520
email: info@allkidscount.org

All Kids Count is a component of
The Task Force for Child Survival and Development, Atlanta, Georgia

© All Kids Count, 2001. All rights reserved.
Last updated August 11, 2003