HEALTHmatters MD

This summer, there are many effective ways to support your school-aged patients in preparing for the new school year. Bring them in for well visits and age-appropriate vaccines, and support them in completing any forms they may need for school.

Helpful tips to bring pediatric patients in this summer

• Compile a list of patients due for well visits utilizing either HPSM e-reports or the Stellar platform. You can also use your existing patient registries to identify and reach out to pediatric patients who are due for well visits.
• Let families know the types of well visits available (including phone, video and/or in-person). Emphasize that HPSM members get well visits at no cost.
• Accommodate families with busy schedules by offering extended hours on weekday evenings and/or weekends.
• Host vaccine clinics to help your patients catch up on overdue vaccines.
• Create a template or use age-specific standardized templates in your electronic health record (EHR) to capture Bright Futures documentation requirements and trigger reminders for future well visits. 
• If patients come in because they are sick and they are due for a well visit, consider integrating it into the same appointment. Complete the well visit and evaluate their current symptoms, and, if the patient’s health permits, offer any vaccines they are due for. 
• Practice adolescent-centered care with age-appropriate, engaging materials and support confidentiality through dedicated private consultation time with each adolescent patient. 
• Refer patients to specialists as needed, including dental providers, eye doctors and mental health therapists.
• At the end of every well visit, schedule the next well visit appointment. After each sick visit, verify whether the upcoming well visit has already been scheduled. If not, schedule an appointment.
• When patients miss appointments, follow up with letters and phone calls to reschedule.