Public Health Informatics and Vaccination Coverage Essay

Introduction

The use of health information technology is associated with better health outcomes. With the aim of improving the efficiency and quality of healthcare organizations, the American government is stressing the importance of using health informatics including electronic health records to improve patient care (Yanamadala et al. 1). Public health informatics (PHI) is the field that optimizes the utilization of information with the purpose of improving individual and community health, health policy, health and biomedical services, and public health practices (Edmunds et al. 4). It operates the intersection of computer science and public health. The use of health informatics impacts population life expectancies in different ways. Public Health Informatics and Vaccination Coverage Essay

PHI and Vaccination Coverage

One of the ways through which PHI impacts life expectancies is through its influence on childhood immunization. Au et al. explain that childhood vaccination rates are a significant determinant of pediatric care, which further determines the health of communities and mortality rates due to infections that can be prevented through immunizations (222). The use of health informatics in childhood vaccination has shown marked improvements in vaccination coverage, which is associated with reduced mortality rates and improved lifespan. Electronic immunization data facilitates the real-time or rapid identification of children requiring vaccines on a large scale compared to chart reviews (Stockwell and Fiks 1803). Additionally, most parents do not have complete records to reveal whether or not their children strictly receive vaccinations following the recommended guidelines, partly because of visiting more than one health care facility (Stockwell and Fiks 1803). The use of health informatics can eliminate the issue of having scanty records (Savel and Foldy 21). All the immunization data is put in one system that can be accessed in all care providing facilities. As a result, vaccination discrepancies are eliminated, and the immunization history of all children can be accessed by taking appropriate action.Public Health Informatics and Vaccination Coverage Essay