Addressing the root causes of school absenteeism

An additional partnership was struck with Colonial School District, the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN) and the Data Service Center in 2021 to develop the Data Access for Student Health (DASH). One of three such projects in the U.S., DASH seeks to improve health by addressing and reducing school absenteeism. 

With parental consent, school attendance as well as whether the student has an education plan, is collected and shared with DHIN via the Data Service Center. When a threshold of absences is noted, it creates an alert, which notifies the primary care provider to contact the family to better understand the reason of their child missing school. Early detection enables providers and care coordinators to proactively address care needs and offer families support.

Regular attendance can be more challenging for children with complex medical conditions. Early detection enables health care professionals to proactively reach out to address evolving care needs.