Electronic Health Records and Immunization Information Systems Interoperability: Measuring Impact on Immunization Outcomes

INTRODUCTION: Immunization is an intervention proven to reduce morbidity and mortality for several infectious diseases, yet coverage remains less than optimal, especially among minorities and the poor. Challenges to adequate coverage are associated with access and consolidated immunization documentation to support clinical immunization decision making. Efforts to improve access and service delivery include Community Guide recommended interventions, the Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program, and electronic data exchange between provider electronic health records (EHR) and state and city immunization information systems (IIS). AIM: The purpose of this study is to 1) determine if EHR-IIS interoperability improves immunization outcomes and 2) identify how EHR-IIS interoperability may improve the capacity to support activities to increase appropriate immunization. METHODS: Data reported by state IIS for immunization provider sites both prior to and after the establishment of or the improvement of an existing EHR-IIS interface were analyzed to examine changes in 1) the mean difference in the proportion of 19 to 35 month old children at these sites who were up-to-date for age-appropriate immunizations, and 2) the mean difference in completion of key demographic and vaccine-related fields for 4m to 6 year-old children associated with enhanced sites in the IIS. RESULTS: Statistical analysis yielded evidence of a positive change in the mean difference in the proportion of children aged 4m to 6 years with key demographic and vaccine data in IIS. A statistically significant change in the mean difference of up-to-date status in 19 to 35 month olds was not detected. DISCUSSION: Evidence suggests that EHR-IIS interoperability can improve the capacity of IIS in targeting of immunization services to underserved populations and support accountability for the VFC program. Implementation of EHR-IIS interfaces must be performed thoughtfully and support accountability and with an understanding of the impact of the interface on IIS data used to support immunization program activities. Immunization outcomes for children at provider sites engaging in electronic data exchange with IIS should continue to be monitored. Additional analysis must be done to identify the interoperability factors that are positively and negatively associated with improved immunization outcomes

An IS contribution to the UN Millennium Development Goals: Next generation vaccination management in the developing world

More than 9.5 million people die in the developing world unnecessarily each year due not to a lack of medicine but due to poor information management. It is proposed that the IS Discipline could contribute to resolving this and similar global challenges by making a greater contribution to high impact and high visibility global issues such as the UN's Millennium Development Goals. In this paper we illustrate the potential for the IS Discipline to take a leading role in high impact issues by presenting an innovative design for a mainstream IS solution to an illustrative global healthcare issue through appropriate applications of mobile technologies, cloud computing, social networking and geolocation services. © 2010 Wei Wang, Steve Elliot & Mary-Anne Williams

J Public Health Manag Pract

CC999999/Intramural CDC HHS/United States2018-03-28T00:00:00Z25806848PMC587396

Ready or Not? Protecting the Public's Health From Diseases, Disasters, and Bioterrorism, 2009

Based on ten indicators, assesses progress in the readiness of states, federal government, and hospitals to respond to public health emergencies, with a focus on the H1N1 flu. Outlines improvements and concerns in funding, accountability, and other areas

Blockchain for the Healthcare Supply Chain: A Systematic Literature Review

A supply chain (SC) is a network of interests, information, and materials involved in processes that produce value for customers. The implementation of blockchain technology in SC management in healthcare has had results. This review aims to summarize how blockchain technology has been used to address SC challenges in healthcare, specifically for drugs, medical devices (DMDs), and blood, organs, and tissues (BOTs). A systematic review was conducted by following the PRISMA guidelines and searching the PubMed and Proquest databases. English-language studies were included, while non-primary studies, as well as surveys, were excluded. After full-text assessment, 28 articles met the criteria for inclusion. Of these, 15 (54%) were classified as simulation studies, 12 (43%) were classified as theoretical, and only one was classified as a real case study. Most of the articles (n = 23, 82%) included the adoption of smart contracts. The findings of this systematic review indicated a significant but immature interest in the topic, with diverse ideas and methodologies, but without effective real-life applications

GUIDE FOR PROJECT LEAD : Vaccine 2D Barcode Scanning Implementation Toolkit

The Guide for Project Lead is part of the Vaccine 2D Barcode Scanning Implementation Toolkit, which contains a series of resources and tools to support different aspects and phases of vaccine twodimensional (2D) barcode scanning implementation in ambulatory clinics, health care facilities, or health systems.To determine if vaccine 2D barcode scanning is right for your organization, view the Implementation Guide for Decision Makers. Be sure to consider up-front costs (e.g., scanners, Wi-Fi, additional technology needs), electronic medical record (EMR) capabilities, and time constraints of staff. The information in the Guide for Project Lead may also be considered when determining if scanning is right for your organization.It is recommended that a Project Lead is identified to manage the implementation of the new process. This Guide provides recommendations and tools for a successful implementation based on pilot projects and prior implementations.Publication date from document properties.toolkit-project-lead-guide-508.pd

Electronic Immunization Registry in Improving Vaccine Supply Chain Availability in Tanga City Council, Tanzania

BackgroundDespite the advantages of the electronic registry which has been explained in other areas of health and other parts of the world, there has been no empirical research conducted with the aim of assessing the impact of the electronic immunization registry practices on the availability of immunization commodities.ObjectivesTo assess the effect of electronic immunization registry practices on the availability of immunization commodities.MethodsA cross-sectional study was carried out to health facilities providing vaccination services in Tanga City Council. A total of 27 health care workers in 27 health facilities were interviewed for availability of vaccines and their experience in using electronic immunization system in supply chain system functioning using structured questionnaires. The data from the vaccines manual ledger and electronic TImR system were also collected administered in April-June, 2019 specifically for Bacillus-Calmette Guerin (BCG), Diphtheria-Pertussis-Tetanus-Hepatis B-Haemophilus influenza type b (DPT-HepB-Hib), bi-oral polio vaccine (bOPV), Measles-Rubella and Human Papilloma Virus Vaccine (HPV). These data were analyzed by statistical software SPSS using one sample T test and 95% confidence interval.ResultsThe study affirmed that the mean numbers of children registered at the health facilities using electronic immunization registry was 1.5-3 times higher than the target population for the three months preceding the study given by the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). The number of doses for the studied vaccines (DPT-HepB-Hib, measles rubella, HPV, BCG and bOPV) were found to be different in the manual and electronic TImR systems. Also, the number of doses available at the health facilities increased significantly with the number of the electronic system registered children.ConclusionThis study found that the adoption of Electronic immunization registry has improved the health supply chain in terms of improving the vaccines availability. Rwanda J Med Health Sci 2021;4(2): 223-23

Strengthening Integrated Primary Health Care in Sofala, Mozambique

Background: Large increases in health sector investment and policies favoring upgrading and expanding the public sector health network have prioritized maternal and child health in Mozambique and, over the past decade, Mozambique has achieved substantial improvements in maternal and child health indicators. Over this same period, the government of Mozambique has continued to decentralize the management of public sector resources to the district level, including in the health sector, with the aim of bringing decision-making and resources closer to service beneficiaries. Weak district level management capacity has hindered the decentralization process, and building this capacity is an important link to ensure that resources translate to improved service delivery and further improvements in population health. A consortium of the Ministry of Health, Health Alliance International, Eduardo Mondlane University, and the University of Washington are implementing a health systems strengthening model in Sofala Province, central Mozambique.Description of implementation: The Mozambique Population Health Implementation and Training (PHIT) Partnership focuses on improving the quality of routine data and its use through appropriate tools to facilitate decision making by health system managers; strengthening management and planning capacity and funding district health plans; and building capacity for operations research to guide system-strengthening efforts. This seven-year effort covers all 13 districts and 146 health facilities in Sofala Province.Evaluation design: A quasi-experimental controlled time-series design will be used to assess the overall impact of the partnership strategy on under-5 mortality by examining changes in mortality pre- and post-implementation in Sofala Province compared with neighboring Manica Province. The evaluation will compare a broad range of input, process, output, and outcome variables to strengthen the plausibility that the partnership strategy led to healthsystem improvements and subsequent population health impact.Discussion: The Mozambique PHIT Partnership expects to provide evidence on the effect of efforts to improvedata quality coupled with the introduction of tools, training, and supervision to improve evidence-based decision making. This contribution to the knowledge base on what works to enhance health systems is highly replicable for rapid scale-up to other provinces in Mozambique, as well as other sub-Saharan African countries with limitedresources and a commitment to comprehensive primary health care