Telling Your District’s Health Data Story: Where Should You Start? 

School nurses and health professionals are often taking mental note of countless data points on any given day: how many students they’ve seen, how long those meetings lasted, any common physical symptoms they’ve started seeing more often… the list goes on.  

But when faced with the idea of synthesizing data or reporting on it, that can feel overwhelming, or, depending on how you document health office visits, impossible. 

Today we’re discussing how you can use health data to feel more empowered as a health professional in your school or district, specifically focusing on the basics to get you started. 

Why Health Data Reporting? 

We’re in an era where data often drives decisions in schools, something that can help make sure all students are served equitably. That also means that it can be hard for departments that aren’t used to extensive reporting (beyond the mandatory state/federal reporting) to tell a story with data. 

Using quantitative data can be crucial in backing up your ideas, and strengthens any qualitative evidence you’re bringing to a conversation. And that conversation could be anything. It could be related to hiring a new school nurse, or it might be that you need to change the ground surface at the elementary school playground after seeing a series of injuries. 

Going Beyond State & Federal Reporting 

Of course, if you’re a health professional in a school setting, you’re used to reporting to the government. But what we’re talking about today goes beyond those reports.  

We’re talking about the idea of taking data points to understand what’s going on in schools, make changes, and see if those changes are working. 

Where to Start? 

Starting with health data reporting can seem daunting, especially if you’re new to the practice. Here are a few ways you can get started:  

Consider the Questions You Have 

Start by identifying the key questions you want to answer. Before you get to the data piece, just consider what you’d like to know. You can start big (“Should we hire an additional school nurse?”) or small (“are we seeing more flu cases this year compared to last?”). 

Here’s a list of questions you might consider, or that might help you get started:  

1. What percentage of students have received all required vaccinations, and how does this vary by grade level? 

2. Are there trends in absenteeism due to illness, and do certain seasons or months show higher rates? 

3. How many students have been diagnosed with asthma, and how often do these students require medical attention during school hours? 

4. What is the prevalence of mental health issues, such as anxiety or depression, among students, and has this rate changed over time? 

5. Are there correlations between student health conditions (e.g., anxiety, diabetes) and academic performance or attendance? 

6. What are the most common reasons for visits to the school nurse, and do these reasons vary by age or gender? 

7. How many students have food allergies, and what are the most common allergens reported? 

8. What percentage of students are enrolled in free or reduced lunch programs, and how does this correlate with reported health conditions? 

Go With Your Gut 

Do you have a hunch about a health related trend in school? That can be a great place to start. Maybe you’re used to seeing increased instances of students feeling down or depressed in the lead up to winter. If you track those instances and look at them from a high level, are there any commonalities? Or maybe that’s a sign that it’s a good time for education on mood boosters for darker months.  

Alongside teachers, health professionals are people who interact with students a lot. And for some students, school nurses are the only healthcare professional they have access to on a regular basis. Your gut feeling about a student or a school-wide trend is important, but won’t always help you make a case to district leadership. So tracking and reporting is one way to quantify and validate that gut feeling, and make it easier to share with others when action is warranted.  

Start Small 

You might be thinking to yourself, “even if I wanted to compare this year’s flu rates to last, I can’t because I can’t don’t have historic data”. That’s ok! It might feel frustrating, but you have to start somewhere. It’s a good idea to have some short-term goals alongside some longer-term goals.  

So you can start tracking flu rates knowing that it won’t help you compare this year to last, but will position you to do that next year. And in the meantime, you could look at the reasons students are visiting the nurse’s office and see if there are any trends there. 

Knowing that you’ve been reporting health data to the state, you could consider starting with that data first and gradually expand as you become more comfortable with the process. 

Talk to Your Vendor 

Your EHR or health data management vendor can be an invaluable resource in your reporting journey. They can help you understand what data is available, how to access it, and how to use the tools at your disposal to generate meaningful reports. Don’t hesitate to reach out to them for guidance and support. 

Use Cases 

Mental Health vs. Physical Health 

The traditional healthcare model often separates mental and physical health, but in schools, many school nurses are involved to some degree with both mental and physical health. Especially as nursing evolves and our understanding of mental health evolves, there is increasing understanding around the relationship between physical and mental health.  

Communicable Diseases  

When is it time to take actions to mitigate the spread of a communicable disease?  

In the wake of COVID-19, there is a delicate balance for school health professionals to not raise alarm unnecessarily while proactively addressing potential disease spread. If you maintain reporting for illnesses like streptococcal pharyngitis (strep) and infectious mononucleosis (mono), you can look at infection rates and understand the severity of a potential outbreak. 

Some electronic health record systems make it easier to track and report on contagious diseases.    

The Importance of an EHR/Tools 

Electronic Health Records systems (EHRs) have become increasingly important for school districts looking to go beyond the capabilities of their SIS.  

Frontline School Health Management has extensive reporting, and is purpose-built for K-12.