Tracking COVID-19 immunizations relies on accurate patient identification

Everyone is waiting anxiously for the COVID-19 vaccine. But when it’s released, its administration is going to be a feat in and of itself. As the rollout of a COVID-19 vaccine nears, the industry must have a robust strategy in place to manage coronavirus immunizations effectively. That means patients will have to be accurately identified and consistently matched to their health records so providers can track who has received a vaccine and who hasn’t.

The issue of patient identification becomes even more complex as a number of vaccines enter the market at the same time; each with their own set of schedules for administering. Many will require more than one dose. Multiple doses and different vaccines not only pose logistical concerns, but serious health and safety implications as well.

For example: A patient receives his first immunization shot at his local CVS pharmacy. A month later, when it’s time for his second dose, he visits his primary care doctor. The physician’s office will need to know exactly which vaccine the patient received and when. That requires accurate, up-to-date patient records in an organization’s EHR or a state’s immunization registry.

Poor patient matching and identification have already hindered our nation’s public health response to the pandemic. Contact tracing and testing efforts have been notoriously stalled because basic demographic elements like phone numbers and addresses to identify and communicate with patients aren’t being captured.