Electronic Immunization Registry: Practical Considerations for Planning, Development, Implementation and Evaluation

Communication between different health facilities and information-sharing ability across different programmes within these facilities are prerequisites for the availability of complete, timely information to support decision-making. A health information system (HIS) is a set of interrelated components that collect, process, store, and distribute information on health to support decision-making and control processes, as well as to support data analysis, communication, and coordination within the system itself. Information and communication technologies (ICTs), geographic information systems (GIS), and connectivity are increasingly available/attainable, which has allowed the development of user-friendly information systems and databases to handle large volumes of information simultaneously and rapidly while ensuring data security and confidentiality.

In this context, the Expanded Program on Immunization (EPI) uses multiple information systems, including electronic immunisation registries (EIRs). This document from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) is designed to support EPI managers and their teams in the implementation of EIR-related information systems, using various experiences compiled at the global level - and, especially, in the Region of the Americas - as a foundation. One objective is to serve as a platform for documentation and sharing of lessons learned and successful experiences in EIR implementation.

The document is structured into 3 major sections: background; EIR planning and design; and EIR development and implementation. One chapter of the resource focuses on ethics, noting that "Those responsible for an EIR...have the ethical obligation to obtain information respectfully, which entails informing the person from whom data will be obtained (which data will be obtained, for what purpose, how they will be used and stored, and even who will be responsible for preserving them)....The authorities responsible for the health of the population have the power to obtain individualized information to be able to carry out their task of protecting the health of the population. However, in public health, it is advisable to encourage voluntary social cooperation and resort to compulsory actions only when necessary. Thus, it is advisable to consider mechanisms to generate a social consent built on communication with the population - e.g., by means of information campaigns and public consultations - and a long-term public commitment by the health authority. In any case, the population should be informed of the existence of the EIR, its features, and its impact on health."

The content of the chapters is supported by a literature review of aspects related to EIR requirements and summarises the experiences of the countries of the Region of the Americas and other regions that already have EIRs in place or are at the development and implementation stage.