Informatics for public health and health system collaboration: Applications for the control of the current COVID-19 pandemic and the next one. (8th June 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Lenert, Leslie A; Ding, Wei; Jacobs, Jeff
• Is Part Of: Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association. Volume 28:Number 8(2021)
• Page Start: 1807
• Page End: 1811
• Publication Date: 2021-06-08
• Subjects: public health informatics -- population health -- national patient identifier -- Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resource -- electronic clinical quality measure; Medical informatics -- Periodicals; Information Services -- Periodicals; Medical Informatics -- Periodicals; Médecine -- Informatique -- Périodiques; Informatica; Geneeskunde; Informatique médicale; Computer network resources; Electronic journals; 610.285
• DOI: 10.1093/jamia/ocab066
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1067-5027

Abstract

Abstract: Public health faces unprecedented challenges in its efforts to control COVID-19 through a national vaccination campaign. Addressing these challenges will require fundamental changes to public health data systems. For example, of the core data systems for immunization campaigns is the immunization information system (IIS); however, IISs were designed for tracking the vaccinated, not finding the patients who are high risk and need to be vaccinated. Health systems have this data in their electronic health records (EHR) systems and often have a greater capacity for outreach. Clearly, a partnership is needed. However, successful collaborations will require public health to change from its historical hierarchical information supply chain model to an ecosystem model with a peer-to-peer exchange with population health providers. Examples of the types of informatics innovations necessary to support such an ecosystem include a national patient identifier, population-level data exchange for immunization data, and computable electronic quality measures. Rather than think of these components individually, a comprehensive approach to rapidly adaptable tools for collaboration is needed.