The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that millions of people are affected by the flu each year, with hundreds of thousands requiring hospital stays and thousands dying from flu-related causes. We know that the flu vaccination is the best way to prevent the flu. Now, our organization is using technology to streamline the vaccination process for our patients.
Effective Sept. 26, One Chart automatically imports vaccination data from the Nebraska State Immunization Information System (NESIIS). NESIIS collects and stores immunization information from participating facilities and retailers across Nebraska. The patient’s vaccination record from the state registry will be available in One Chart to all Nebraska Medicine providers caring for the patient, whether in the emergency department, hospital, outpatient clinic, or labor and delivery.
Additionally, the Quality and One Chart teams have developed new tools to engage patients and improve their experience around flu shot immunization, while improving efficiency for patient-centered medical home (PCMH) staff and providers. PCMH patients will be receiving a questionnaire on their active One Chart | Patient account. For patients who have not yet received their flu shot, they will be asked if they are interested in receiving one at their upcoming visit. The responses that patients enter in One Chart | Patient are visible to PCMH clinic staff and providers through a variety of newly updated One Chart tools. Seeing this information prior to the patient’s arrival for their scheduled visit will allow staff to prepare to administer a flu shot or provide patient education to encourage flu shot vaccination.
The One Chart|Patient influenza questionnaire will only be sent to patients who do not have a current flu shot in their medical record. A patient who has received a flu shot from an outside organization recorded in the state registry will not receive a questionnaire. This is an example of the sophisticated use of enhanced technology to improve the care of our patients and reduce documentation burden for our providers.
These features were implemented on Sept. 26. Patients will receive the influenza questionnaire in their One Chart|Patient accounts prior to their upcoming scheduled appointment. To learn more, please refer to the One Chart PCMH Patient-Provided Influenza Information and Automatic NESIIS Query Tip Sheets.