Another First in the Electronic Transmission of Immunization Records: CVS/pharmacy and Nemours begin transmission of vaccination records through DHIN
DOVER, DE – February 28, 2012 – The Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) immunization registry received a boost this week when a major pharmacy chain and Nemours began electronically transmitting vaccination data for the first time to DPH through the Delaware Health Information Network (DHIN).
CVS/pharmacy and Nemours recently began sending their daily immunization records to the DPH database using SFTP, secure file transfer protocol, in the system administered by DHIN. This streamlines what had been a manual monthly process, increasing both speed and accuracy. It is the latest development in DHIN’s quest to provide timely health data to medical providers and ultimately to the public in Delaware.
“Having CVS/pharmacy and Nemours electronically transmitting its vaccination records greatly enhances the quality and the quantity of data in the registry,” said Dr. Karyl Rattay, DPH Director. “DPH congratulate CVS, Nemours and DHIN for their leadership and vision. This is an important step in reducing costs, increasing efficiency, and protecting the children of Delaware from preventable illness.”
The State Immunization Registry was established in 1983 and provides an accessible record to physicians, emergency room staff, school nurses and parents. State law requires that immunizations be reported to the Division of Public Health by every healthcare provider. Until recently that was mostly a manual process. As of February 28, 2013, over 21,000 immunization records have been transmitted through DHIN since the first phase of the process launched last October, with two private practices submitting their data.
“This is a major step for streamlining how immunization records are delivered to the Registry,” said Dr. Jan Lee, executive director of DHIN. “Hospitals and pharmacies are major conduits for immunizations, especially routine ones such as influenza and shingles, and we are pleased that our platform will deliver results more quickly with less work for pharmacists as well as physicians.”
The DPH immunization database now contains the records of close to a half million people. The purpose of the Registry is to make immunization records accessible to health care providers and ultimately the citizens of Delaware to help prevent vaccine-preventable diseases.
Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children began transmitting demographic information as well as Lab, Pathology and Radiology testing results to the DHIN database in October 2012. As of last week, the hospital and its primary care satellite offices are now sending their immunization data through DHIN to DPH. “Nemours is dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families. Leveraging health information technology improves quality of care for Delaware’s kids,” said Stephen Lawless, MD, MBA, Vice President for Quality and Safety at Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children. “Using DHIN to transmit our immunization information to the DPH database is a more efficient use of resources and has benefits for our patients and families.”
“We are pleased to partner with the Delaware Health Information Network to automate the process of sending our vaccination data to the Immunization Registry in Delaware,” said Papatya Tankut, RPh, Vice President of Pharmacy Affairs at CVS Caremark. “Because of their accessibility, pharmacists are playing an increasingly important role in providing vaccinations. CVS pharmacists are available every day to administer many different vaccines to patients, including influenza, pneumonia, Tdap and hepatitis.”
The Delaware Health Information Network was created by the Delaware General Assembly in 1997 as a public-private partnership for the benefit of all citizens of Delaware to establish a statewide health information network and to address Delaware’s needs for timely, reliable and relevant healthcare information. With all Delaware acute care hospitals and 97% of providers now participating, DHIN is sharing real-time clinical information to improve patient outcomes, eliminate the duplication of service and reduce the cost of healthcare.
About Nemours
Nemours (NAH-mors) is an internationally recognized children’s health system that owns and operates the Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children in Wilmington, Delaware and the Nemours Children’s Hospital in Orlando, Florida along with major pediatric specialty clinics in Delaware, Florida, Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
Established as The Nemours Foundation through the legacy and philanthropy of Alfred I. du Pont, Nemours offers pediatric clinical care, research, education, advocacy and prevention programs to all families in the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.Nemours.org.
About CVS/pharmacy
CVS/pharmacy, the retail division of CVS Caremark Corporation, is America’s leading retail pharmacy with more than 7,400 CVS/pharmacy and Longs Drug stores. CVS/pharmacy is reinventing pharmacy to help people on their path to better health by providing the most accessible and personalized expertise, both in its stores and online at CVS.com. General information about CVS/pharmacy and CVS Caremark is available at https://info.cvscaremark.com.
