Why It’s Key To Have an Immunization Information System in Place

An immunization information system (IIS) helps improve distribution, administration, documentation, and monitorization by gathering and storing patient vaccination data. An immunization information system offers support to improve the workflow of patient vaccinations and distributions. It also streamlines administration, documentation, and monitorization. An IIS can gather and store vaccination data for patients and allow a doctor to improve the accuracy and effectiveness of routine vaccinations, as per a recent public study published.

Most states have combined an immunization information system with their Electronic Health Records (EHRs), making it easy for doctors to distribute COVID-19 vaccinations throughout the state. To meet the National Vaccine Advisory Committee’s (NVAC) standards, healthcare providers must have complete access to an individual’s immunization status at every visit. IIS integration with the EHR will ensure that healthcare professionals will always access a patient’s immunization history. With federal funding, all providers must ensure that individuals can access their immunization documentation at each medical visit.

Doctors don’t know how to access this information, explained the study authors. Training is necessary. Without knowing about IISs, doctors can’t keep patients’ records complete. Without accessing data from IISs, completion of vaccination records is impossible. Training would help doctors efficiently track patient compliance with vaccinations.

The Integration of IIS and EHRs

IIS platforms are customized to fit local needs to capture the patient data process in a way that meets Health Level 7 standards. Gaining insight into the platform is vital for healthcare professionals to understand how IIS is customized for local use. Integration between the Immunization Information System and EHR is essential and the preferred method of gaining patient data access instead of the web-based interface. EHR integration boosts performance between the technologies giving critical immunization information to healthcare facilities and providers. It also makes the process of medical transcription easier.

Best Practices During COVID-19

Sites where clinical vaccinations are provided are using IIS to order, distribute, and track vaccines. The system used with medical transcription also allows practitioners access to the patient’s vaccination status for COVID-19 in real-time. User information like patient data can also be gathered, stored, while vaccines can be documented, tracked, and administered. Because initial vaccine supplies were limited, the system can also determine essential data like fair allocation of available vaccines. It also allows for important planning and forecasting to minimize shortages.

There are four ways that clinicians can begin to prepare for the administration of the COVID-19 vaccine:

1. They can become more familiar and knowledgeable about the user interface for the immunization information system and how the integration works with EHR. This makes the process easier for accessing patient vaccination information.
2. Training and communication with the IT department for the health system can help with the flow of data in real-time between the technologies.
3. State and local health departments can assist with onboarding and providing guidance into merging IIS with EHR.
4. Clear communication between colleagues and other healthcare administrators can be useful in sharing knowledge.

When more clinicians and healthcare facilities adopt the integration of IIS and EHR, vaccination campaigns will vastly improve their efficiency with equitable distribution for vaccines.