Electronic Medical Records and Immunization Registries - The Benefits of Exchanging Data
Information listing the benefits of exchanging data between electronic medical records and Minnesota Immunization Information Connection (MIIC). Updated 6/04
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What are the advantages of capturing immunization data from EMRs over billing systems?
What is available from MIIC that is not typically in an EMR?
What's in the future for EMRs and MIIC?
- EMRs and immunization registries are both designed to capture clinical data; billing systems are primarily for administrative purposes.
- Information such as chickenpox history, vaccine contraindications, and refusal of vaccines can be captured in an EMR but not typically in billing systems.
- EMR data is often entered by the clinical staff who saw the patient, eliminating steps that could potentially result in transcription or coding errors.
- Specific information on shots given elsewhere—information already contained in the MIIC and readily available to your staff without them having to call around to collect it.
- Decision support—vaccine-specific recommendations on what shots can be given today. This includes the earliest date a vaccine can be given, the recommended date, and the overdue date. MIIC also shows when a series is complete or if the patient is now too old to complete a series.
- School access to MIIC, so having a clinic’s immunization data in the registry greatly reduces school calls to your staff for immunization histories.
- Tracking of MnVFC eligibility categories needed for annual reporting to MDH.
- A seamless EMR interface that would enable clinics to query MIIC without leaving their EMR. The clinic would get back not only the consolidated patient history of vaccines—no matter where the vaccines were given—but also the recommended immunizations for today (decision support).
- Ordering MnVFC vaccines through MIIC.
- Health Plans obtaining immunization HEDIS data from MIIC instead of requiring a clinic to run (and possibly pay separately for) an ad hoc report from their EMR.