KEYWORDS:
registry, assessment, integration, web

BACKGROUND:
The Rhode Island Department of Health developed and implemented a statewide, integrated, multi-program pediatric public health information system, KIDSNET. The main application is terminal-based. Since the roll out of KIDSNET, technology has significantly changed and now almost all provider offices have Windows-based computers and web browsers. Focus group sessions indicated that provider staff felt KIDSNET was hard to use, and recommended making it more user friendly by making it Windows based.

OBJECTIVE:
To make KIDSNET more user friendly and less staff intensive; to support improved data quality and completeness and usage; to provide specific solutions and recommendations on how to improve the system.

METHOD:
Using a formal methodology including interviews, research, and analysis, and a web-based provider survey, consultants were engaged to validate functional requirements, assess current architecture and standards, and develop core principals upon which to operate the system in the future. Both a short-term and a long-term plan for KIDSNET were developed and implemented.

RESULT:
KIDSNET is on a path to upgrade its current technology while preserving the essential qualities of data integration and quality. Among the most significant enhancements are: A web-based query and reporting system is being developed for providers as a stepping stone toward a fully web-enabled application; data import techniques are being improved to reduce the number of records in “suspense;” and the scheduler algorithm is being improved to be more compliant with ACIP rules.

CONCLUSION:
Incremental improvements can go a long way to increase the effectiveness and usability of a registry product.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
To understand how to use assessment registries effectively and how to plan for marginal improvements within the context of a larger plan.