Idaho's Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS) Annual Data Quality Audit

Background: In 2007, Idaho created a test project comparing vaccination data collected at provider’s 2006 annual AFIX visit entered into CoCASA to the data listed in Immunization Reminder Information System (IRIS).   At the time there were some concern regarding the quality of data in IRIS from registry stakeholders.  The initial audit was used to create an ongoing IRIS data quality plan.

Objectives: The objective for the data quality audit was to identify the actual error rate in IRIS from a sample of providers, including for comparison Idaho’s overall error rate and for provider who electronically submit data.

Methods: The audit looked at only vaccination dates and types. The comparison looked at several different types of errors; including missing vaccine in IRIS, data difference and incorrect vaccine type. Five private providers were selected from each of Idaho’s seven health departments. 

Results: The overall error rate for 2006 was 6.9% and in 2009 was 2.3%, 2010 data will not be available until early 2011, with data electronically submitting having lower total error rates.  For the state overall, missing vaccination is the most common error.  However, electronically submitted data, date difference is the most common error.

Conclusions: Based on the review of IRIS, the data quality errors were much lower than anticipated. Do to provider participation in the registry; IRIS had better vaccination data quality than originally anticipated.  Based on the data quality audit, the Idaho Immunization Program has developed a registry data quality component including provider visits, quarterly electronically submitted data quality audit, and yearly vaccination data audit.  After consulting with a statistician, several changes have been made to the granularity of the data collected.  By collecting the vaccination information at a fine detail, the results allow a wider programmatic usage.