KEYWORDS:
Emergency Room, Public Health
BACKGROUND:
In a recent collaboration, the SUNY Upstate Medical University Pediatric Emergency Department (ED) and the Central New York Immunization Registry (CNYIR) found that an ED can effectively access an IR as well as determine the prevalence of ED patients in the Registry and their immunization status as recorded in the Registry. This study demonstrated that utilizing a registry in an emergency department provides value to both the ED and to the registry. This new collaboration will build on this success and include the local public health nursing staff.
OBJECTIVE(S):
Determine if an Immunization Registry can:
o Provide accurate immunization histories in an ED setting
o Facilitate referrals from an ED to Public Health when needed
METHOD(S):
The ED will consult the Registry to determine if a child is enrolled in the Registry and if so, if they are age-appropriately immunized. The ED staff will make referrals to Public Health Nursing as necessary. Public Health will follow-up to:
o Ensure enrollment
- in the Registry
- with a primary care provider
- in a health insurance plan
o Verify that the registry immunization history is accurate
o Improve immunization status
RESULT(S):
Developing a public health intervention utilizing immunization registry data to improve the health of children.
CONCLUSIONS(S):
Immunization registries can create practical applications for core public health activities.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Demonstrate that an emergency department and public health collaboration can effectively use an immunization registry to encourage timely immunizations and the use of a medical home.
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