Kansas HIE Transmits Immunization Data to Web-Based State Registry

Kansas Health Information Network (KHIN) and the Informatics Corporation of America (ICA), a Nashville, Tenn.-based provider of interoperability technology that enables care coordination and health information exchange (HIE), have announced they have successfully transmitted immunizations through the ICA CareAlign HIE platform from the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, a federally qualified health center, to the Kansas Immunization Registry, KSWebIZ.

KSWebIZ is a web-based statewide immunization registry established to consolidate immunization information for all Kansas residents, assure adequate immunization levels and avoid unnecessary immunizations. The project is being implemented in two phases. The first phase is a uni-directional interface that electronically sends immunizations from the healthcare facility to KSWebIZ. The second phase will allow healthcare providers to search the registry and retrieve immunization information for their patients.

"The goal of this project is to improve the accuracy of the immunization information in KSWebIZ. This will ensure that Kansas healthcare providers have rapid and complete information regarding their patients' immunization statuses. The primary objectives are to eliminate missed opportunities to immunize and reduce unnecessary duplicate immunizations," Laura McCrary executive director of KHIN, said in a statement. "An additional benefit is the reduction in administrative time that has been required to manually enter immunizations into KSWebIZ. Now immunization data from the clinic is electronically sent to WebIZ, improving the accuracy and timeliness of the data while saving hundreds of hours of manual data entry."

"Federally qualified health centers provide care to the most medically vulnerable patients in our communities. We provide over 15,000 immunizations annually in our six locations," Krista Postai, CEO of the Community Health Center of Southeast Kansas, said in a statement. "This required many hours of data entry into KSWebIZ. Immunization information is electronically sent to KSWebIZ through KHIN, ensuring the information on our patients is accurate and up to date in the state registry."