University of Pittsburgh researchers have developed MEDIvate – My Vaccines, a simple-to-use platform for patients to store and securely share information on their vaccine history. MEDIvate – My Vaccines is designed for smartphone use and should replace paper-based records, providing an easy method for patients to keep track of their vaccine history. MEDIvate – My Vaccines would improve vaccine uptake rates and ultimately improve public health.
Description
Vaccines save lives and are possibly one of the greatest ever public health advances. Each year, tens of thousands of Americans die from vaccine-preventable conditions including COVID, influenza, and more recently, measles. Despite the public health benefit, millions of Americans do not receive the recommended vaccines each year which results in preventable illness and death, and billions in avoidable healthcare spending. Many factors influence vaccine uptake including costs, lack of access or information, and misinformation. This app could improve vaccine uptake by tracking users’ vaccine history providing reliable vaccine information to empower patients.
Applications
• Vaccination records
Advantages
In Pennsylvania, the PA Statewide Immunization Information System (PA-SIIS) is a secure HIPAA compliant system built to contain the vaccine history of Pennsylvanians. However, it relies on information from vaccine providers and currently contains immunization data for less than a quarter of adults in PA. This discrepancy means patients and clinicians can waste valuable time trying to find records, leading to confusion about a patient’s vaccine history. This lack of information can result in missed vaccinations, patients receiving unnecessary vaccinations, or interactions with other prescribed medication.
MEDIvate – My Vaccines replaces paper-based records and patients store and share their vaccine data using a cloud-based app. During the vaccination process (i.e., in pharmacy or clinic) patients add vaccine data to the app using a QR code. The data can be shared later with clinicians to efficiently update the patient’s electronic health record (EHR). This app also provides CDC-required vaccination information sheets in an accessible on-demand format to improve patient education.
Invention Readiness
MEDIvate – My Vaccines software has been developed for Apple iOS smartphones. Design was optimized based on user and stakeholder feedback. The app was tested in both inpatient and community settings and could be easily integrated into clinical workflows and linked to EHRs. Future work is required to assess the benefit of MEDIvate to improve uptake rates of vaccines and patient engagement while reducing medication errors and adverse events.
IP Status
Patent Pending
Related Publication(s)
Coons, J. C., Patel, R., Coley, K. C., & Empey, P. E. (2019). Design and testing of Medivate, a mobile app to achieve medication list portability via Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources. Journal of the American Pharmacists Association, 59(2), S78-S85.e2. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.japh.2019.01.001
