Assessing Growth Patterns—Routine but Sometimes Overlooked

Abstract

We performed a retrospective chart review for 149, randomly selected well-child encounters to evaluate the frequency with which clinicians; plot growth measurements and document growth abnormalities during health maintenance visits. Providers failed to plot at least one measurement of height, weight, and/or head circumference in 31 of 149 encounters (21%, 95% CI=14.5% to 27.5%). Growth abnormalities in size, velocity, and/or disproportion were not documented in 22 of 40 relevant encounters (55%, 95% CI=40% to 70%). Overall, 52 of 149 encounters (35%) were associated with an unplotted measurement and/or an undocumented growth abnormality. We feel that both documentation and assessment of growth represent potential areas for quality improvement.