A decade of the Swiss electronic vaccination Record: Some insights based on an exploratory data analysis

Kevin Sorg; Hamid Khobzi

doi:10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104660

A decade of the Swiss electronic vaccination Record: Some insights based on an exploratory data analysis

Int J Med Inform. 2021 Dec 16:158:104660. doi: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104660. Online ahead of print.

Authors

Kevin Sorg¹, Hamid Khobzi²

Affiliations

¹ Institute of Information Systems, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland. Electronic address: kevin.sorg@outlook.com.
² Institute of Information Systems, University of Bern, 3012 Bern, Switzerland.

PMID: 34929546
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijmedinf.2021.104660

Abstract

Background: The importance of electronic health records (EHR) is apparent in the academic literature. An electronic vaccination record (EVR) is a particular type of EHR that aims to replace a traditional vaccination booklet.

Purpose: This study investigates the adoption of the EVR by the Swiss population over the course of nearly a decade and shows what factors could be the potential reason for differences in the adoption of the EVR in different cantons.

Method: An exploratory data analysis comprised of multiple data visualizations and cluster analysis was performed on a unique dataset collected from multiple sources.

Main findings: The overall rate of adoption was very limited (∼3%) for the whole population in nearly a decade. The adoption had a noticeable rise in 2013, then a gradual decline till 2017 when the adoption took an increasing pattern onwards. Regional differences were found in the adoption of the Swiss EVR. These differences are very likely to be due to clear distinctions regarding pharmacies and physicians in those cantons.

Conclusion: This study provides useful insights regarding the Swiss EVR that could be beneficial for the successful implementation of similar technological solutions.

Keywords: Digital Innovation; Electronic Vaccination Record; Health IT; Healthcare; IT Adoption.