Design and implementation of a multi-institution immunization registry.

One of every four children in the USA is underimmunized. Surveys of children in New York City have documented rates of appropriate immunization as low as 37% in certain populations in northern Manhattan. In response to this- government and private agencies have undertaken efforts to improve immunization rates. As part of one such multiinstitution effort in northern Manhattan- we have begun implementation of a computer-based immunization registry. Key features of this registry system include adaptation of legacy software in order to perform initial capture of data in electronic format/ design of a user interface using a World Wide Web server that provides data review and capture functions with appropriate security/ implementation of a registry database with links to the server- communication links between hospital registration systems- a Master Patient Index- community providers and the central registry/ and integration of decision support in the form of Medical Logic Modules encoded in the Arden Syntax. We di