Focus group research with the managers and developers was conducted to ensure consensus about the importance of these standards. Key elements associated with each standard then were identified and used to establish more sensitive registry development and implementation progress measures. In addition, the IRAR collected information on immunization registry links with other information systems. These data suggest that substantial progress has been made in U.S. communities and states in enrolling children, recruiting providers, and implementing registry functional standards.
Substantial challenges remain in developing registries.
One of the greatest challenges is balancing the need to protect the privacy of patients, providers, and other users of these systems with the need to gather and share information to protect the public health and provide clinical benefit to persons. These specifications were approved by NVAC in February 2000. Ensuring high levels of public and private provider participation in registries is a critical prerequisite to complete and accurate electronic vaccination records. Solving technical and operational challenges of sharing vaccination information between registries that may use different computer hardware and software is critical. The findings in this report are subject to at least two limitations.