Authors (including presenting author) :
LI WY(1), LEE LYL(1), HO YT(1), Tse JWY(1), Wan PKT(1)
Affiliation :
(1) Information technology and Health Informatics Division, Hospital Authority Head Office
Introduction :
In 2024, the Hong Kong Growth Study research team published new growth reference sets that were adopted by various health institutes. This new dataset replaces the 1993 growth reference data used in a healthcare system, leading to changes in clinical assessments. The new growth reference data includes nine centiles, with the two extreme centile lines helping to identify cases of abnormal growth for further evaluation. Notably, it also indicates an increase of about 2 cm in the median height at age 18 for both boys and girls. Implementing this new reference in the system is crucial to ensure that growth-related assessments remain up-to-date and accurate. The latest system design presents both historical and new data in one table, allowing users to monitor students’ growth trends according to corresponding dataset references easily.
Objectives :
(1) To implement the HK2020 Growth Dataset for new measurement records (2) To migrate historical data with reference to the 1993 Dataset (3) To provide up-to-date reference that assist users in making clinical judgments and initiate interventions of growth-related issues.
Methodology :
To introduce nine centiles (99.6th, 98th, 91st, 75th, 50th, 25th, 9th, 2nd, and 0.4th) for analyzing height, weight, and BMI records. To replace weight-for-length/height reference data with BMI-for-age data. To review and update growth-related diagnosis codes. To facilitate the transition of migration data and enhance the user interface for displaying historical records with old dataset reference.
Result & Outcome :
The implementation of the HK2020 Growth Dataset was rolled out in phases across 12 healthcare centres, starting in September 2024. From that point forward, all measurement data entered would be categorized as new records using the updated reference. Over 10 million health records were successfully migrated from the previous system, and the historical data was verified as accurate through thorough testing. As of six months after the launch, the new growth data reference has been applied to approximately 240,000 records, and it will continue to be used for future consultations. The transition from the old dataset to the new one provides users with up-to-date and precise information as standards and protocols evolve over time. This enhancement also enables users to easily identify cases with extreme growth statuses, ensuring prompt and appropriate care for at-risk children, thereby improving the overall quality of care provided.
