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CDC: Provider use of immunization information systems increasing
Child participation in immunization information systems and completeness of data for vaccine manufacturer and lot number in immunization information systems steadily increased from 2006 to 2011, according to findings in a recent Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report.
A Healthy People 2020 objective is to increase the proportion of children aged younger than 6 years whose immunization records are in fully operational, population-based immunization information systems (IIS) to 95%.
Results from the 2011 ISS Annual Report (ISSAR) indicate that 84% of US children aged younger than 6 years participated in ISS, as defined by having at least two recorded vaccinations, a 2% increase from 2010. Participation was calculated by dividing the number of children aged younger than 6 years in an IIS who met the criteria by the 2011 US Census Bureau estimate for the number of children of the same age group in the grantee’s geographic area.
The National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC) published goals for IIS, including required and optional core data elements for which IIS should collect information, two of which are vaccine manufacturer and vaccine lot number.
The CDC annually surveys 56 immunization program grantees to monitor the progress toward achieving the goals.
Grantees reported that an average of 63% of vaccination records for the children contained data in the field for vaccine manufacturer and 60% contained data in the field for lot number. A new project to capture vaccine information, expiration date and lot number on 2-D barcodes on vaccine vials might increase completeness, accuracy and availability of data elements in patient medical records and IIS, which could enhance vaccine safety and support vaccine inventory management.
Researchers said a 2-D barcode on vaccines could allow rapid, complete and accurate capture of vaccination product data by a scanner that could transfer the information to electronic health records (EHRs) and IIS. A CDC assessment of the 2-D barcode for vaccine production, clinical documentation and public health reporting and tracking found that for every $1 expended, $2.70 to $2.80 in benefits were expected to accrue from 2011 to 2023. Net benefits would be $325 million to $349 million, according to the CDC.
Maximal child participation and complete records are needed to fully realize the benefits of IIS, which include clinical decision support, vaccination coverage reports, support for vaccine-preventable disease outbreak response, vaccine inventory management, and the ability to generate reminder and recall messages.
The findings in the report are subject to two limitations. First, data from the IISAR were self-reported and self-validated. Second, because two of the 56 grantees did not report data during the period of collection, the nationwide IIS participation rates for children aged younger than 6 years and completeness of core data elements could be over or underestimated.
Disclosure: The researchers report no relevant financial disclosures.
