Clinical Practice and Referral Guidelines

At Kids Health First, our quality improvement program focuses on developing standards of excellence in care. Throughout our existence, our quality management team has worked to create Clinical Practice and Referral Guidelines around our most frequent diagnoses. These guidelines have evolved and today focus on improving the diagnostic process, identifying appropriate treatment options, and when necessary, outlining parameters for referrals to other specialties. Modifications and enhancements to these guidelines are an ongoing process and a key responsibility of the quality management team, as well as all members of the Kids Health First network.

The primary objective of the Clinical Practice and Referral Guidelines is to create a consensus of care between the pediatricians and the subspecialists.  The guidelines are aimed at improving the referral process and ensuring appropriate referrals, improving access to care, reducing wait times for patients, enhancing the overall patient experience, reducing duplicative or unnecessary procedures and improving physician-to-physician communication. As an organization, we are providing a collaborative framework for clinical decision-making, which benefits everyone.

1. Acute Gastroenteritis
2. Acute Pharyngitis
3. Adverse Vaccine Reaction Reporting
4. Allergic Rhinitis
5. Anemia 1 and 2
6. Ankle Sprain
7. Asthma Management
8. Chest Pain
9. Chronic Abdominal Pain
10. Closed Head Injury
11. Common Scrotal Problems
12. Constipation and Encopresis in Toilet Trained Child
13. Developmental Dysplasia of the Hip (DDH)
14. Eating Disorders
15. Extremity Injury
16. First Time Unprovoked, Non-febrile Seizure
17. Growth Deficiency or Failure to Thrive
18. Hyperbilirubin or Neonatal Jaundice
19. In-toeing
20. Nevi
21. Otitis Media
22. Pediatric Migraine Headache
23. Scoliosis
24. Short Stature
25. Sinusitis