BACKGROUND:
Electronic flow, interchange and use of patient information between immunization registries and other public health information systems, is hampered and often impossible. Within a public health organization, there is potential for data confusion as multiple programs such as immunization, WIC, accounts receivable and vital records assign their own unique identifiers to a single patient. Until recently, there has been no common indexing to correlate and cross-reference patient identifiers such as name, birthday and other demographic information while accurately and automatically matching patient records. The Louisiana Master Patient Index has provided the necessary link for these records as well as enables the immunization registry to communicate effectively and accurately about common patients with other systems.

OBJECTIVE:
This presentation will discuss the benefits of integrating an immunization registry and a master patient index and the steps necessary to achieve this capability. The presenters will outline the process used in integrating Louisiana’s immunization registry with a master patient index and discuss the decisions that were made during the process.

METHOD:
Oral presentation and PowerPoint slides.

RESULT:
The presentation will detail how the integration of the Louisiana immunization registry and master patient index has benefited the intersystem communication between the registry and other public health information systems.

CONCLUSION:
The integration of an immunization registry and a master patient index benefits the registry by allowing it to accurately and effectively communicate with other health information systems. This communication improves patient record integrity and patient service.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Participants will learn the benefits of integrating an immunization registry with a master patient index. They will understand how each challenge can be overcome and how to determine the success of integrating an immunization registry with a master patient index.