How Immunization Registries Benefit Medical Practices and Their Patients
For decades, immunization registries have played a crucial role in public health in the United States. An immunization registry is a confidential and secure electronic database that stores immunization records. They are also known as a vaccine registry or immunization information system (IIS).
State registries provide a centralized repository of immunization information for individuals within a specific jurisdiction or healthcare system. They collect data from various sources, such as healthcare providers, clinics, schools, and pharmacies.
However, registries are far from simple data vaults. They offer numerous benefits to medical practices, patients, and public health. In this article, we will explore why immunization registries are critical to the healthcare system.
Vaccine Registries Monitor Community Immunization Rates
The most crucial role of immunization registries is monitoring vaccine rates.
Registries consolidate all vaccine data for a geographic area. It gives health officials a complete picture of the local population’s immunization levels.
From this data, they can pinpoint under-immunized communities. Once identified, they can work to intervene before a public health crisis emerges. This includes education campaigns, vaccine reminders, and enlisting community leaders.
Health officials also rely on immunization registries as they monitor the situation. By providing up-to-date data, registries can track the success of the intervention efforts.
The registries will continue to provide real-time vaccination data to health officials. From it, they can assess if the under-immunized population is moving toward recommended levels.
Consolidating Patient Immunization History
Immunization registries serve as a centralized repository for an individual’s vaccination records. This is crucial, considering millions of Americans move every year. In fact, approximately 4.8 Americans moved to a different state in 2021 alone.
Registries make accessing a patient’s complete health record easier for healthcare providers because when a patient makes a cross-country move, their data can follow them.
Access to a consolidated immunization history prevents errors like:
- Redundant vaccinations
- Gaps in immunizations
- Delayed vaccination
Immunization registries keep patients on their vaccination schedule, regardless of relocation. For medical providers, it enables them to make informed and appropriate immunization recommendations.
Improved MIPS Reporting
A medical practice’s MIPS (Merit-based Incentive Payment System) score is crucial to reducing operational costs. Participating in a vaccine registry or immunization information system can enhance that score.
This is because it relates to the Promoting Interoperability performance category in the MIPS scoring framework. This category focuses on using technology to improve patient care coordination, health outcomes, and data sharing.
Medical practices satisfy these criteria by sharing vaccine data with their registry. They are demonstrating a dedication to improved interoperability and advancing public health.
Moreover, if they utilize a secure data integration API like DrChrono + Iron Bridge—more on that below—they are implementing technology to do so.
Enhancing Patient Access to Health Records
Immunization registries also benefit your patients because it gives them a single, accurate record of their vaccine history.
This is important because, well, vaccination is essential! Registries ensure health providers can keep the patient up-to-date and protected. While no one likes receiving a shot, a healthy immune system is irreplaceable.
Further, patients who are parents rely on immunization records. Proof of vaccination is required throughout education. It must be provided to enroll children in daycare, elementary, middle school, high school, and even college. Accessing up-to-date data records from a registry makes this a simple process at every stage of a child’s education.
Using Data Integration For Immunization Registry Reporting
While immunization registries offer numerous benefits, they can require time-consuming data entry. Medical providers must first record new vaccinations in their electronic health records, like DrChrono. Then, they must re-enter the data when reporting it to the immunization information system they use.
This creates unnecessary, repetitive data entry that wastes time. To streamline this process, your medical practice can add a secure data integration.
Data API integrations are secure digital connections between EHR software and state immunization registries. Vaccine data can be shared from medical practices to registries quickly and securely through these integrations.
This eliminates the need for redundant data entry, saving medical providers valuable time. For patients, the secure network ensures their sensitive data is protected.
The DrChrono + Iron Bridge Integration
To simplify vaccination reporting, the DrChrono EHR integrates with Iron Bridge.
Iron Bridge is a cloud-based, data-sharing solution that specializes in healthcare interoperability. The platform was built to simplify data migration in even the most complex healthcare systems.
The integration allows medical practices to sync vaccine data from DrChrono to their registries seamlessly. This works in two ways:
Historical Data: Once the integration is established, medical providers can execute a sync of all historical vaccine data in their system. This ensures all patient data is up to date in the registry.
Ongoing Data: Providers and staff can sync all new vaccine data as it’s recorded into DrChrono. This means one data entry to update all relevant vaccine logs in real-time.
How to Add Iron Bridge to Your DrChrono EHR
You can start using the DrChrono + Iron Bridge integration in three simple steps.
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Complete the DrChrono + Iron Bridge interest form. An Implementation Specialist will contact you shortly to begin the process.
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Contact your state registry. They will provide you with new connectivity credentials or inform you that you can use your existing credentials.
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Begin securely reporting vaccine records to your state registry, saving time and improving your MIPS score.
Ready to streamline your immunization reporting? Complete the form to add Iron Bridge!