Immunization-Related Capabilities for Clinical Software

Electronic health records (EHRs) and health information technology (IT) play a critical role in improving the rate of appropriate immunizations in the United States.

Under a contract with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, CNI Advantage, LLC (CNIADV) is identifying software capabilities that will help clinicians and other immunization providers improve their immunization rates.

These software capabilities have been developed by clinicians within the context of real workflows within the clinical setting. They were also informed by those who have much to gain from immunization-related capabilities, including first and foremost–patients and their caregivers, immunization registries (often called immunization information systems or IIS’), those who develop EHRs and other clinical software, and those who pay for health care.

We are seeking broad input on the latest draft of immunization-related software capabilities. You can offer your input in two primary ways:

Value of Immunization and Related Software Capabilities

Improved immunization rates have been linked to better health outcomes, reductions in health care costs, and higher levels of productivity. 1, 2, 3. EHRs have been shown to increase the effectiveness of various interventions that improve immunization rates, such as provider reminders, provider assessment and feedback processes, and patient reminders. EHRs and other clinical software also have the potential of improving vaccine tracking and safety, and the ease by which patients can gain access to their immunization histories.

How Your Input Will be Used

Your input will inform two key outcomes:

  • A final set of immunization-related software capabilities (including scenarios and examples) that will be published in a guidance document to support users and developers of clinical software
  • Voluntary testing processes for a critical subset of the requirements that can be used to support validation of the existence of such requirements in clinical software within voluntary, market-based testing and/or certification programs

Key Links

1. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Workplace Health Promotion: Adult Immunization. Web. 10 December 2013.  http://www.cdc.gov/workplacehealthpromotion/implementation/topics/immunization.html

2. Ehreth, Jennifer. “The Global Value of Vaccination.” Vaccine 30 Jan 2003: 21(7-8) 596-600.  http://www.uvm.edu/~bwilcke/ehreth.pdf

3. National Business Group on Health. Vaccinating Against the Flu: A Business Case. Web. 10 December 2013.  http://www.businessgrouphealth.org/pub/f3137df6-2354-d714-5143-de37eb0ecd7c