The use of eHealth with immunizations: An overview of systematic reviews

Abstract

Background: eHealth interventions may help increase vaccination uptake and health literacy related to immunization and improve immunization program efficiency.

Objectives: To see where and how eHealth technologies have had a positive impact on immunization practices-using eHealth strategies to increase vaccination uptake, improve immunization program efficiency and advance heath literacy related to immunizations.

Methods: An overview of systematic reviews was conducted, searching PubMed, Scopus, Embase, and Web of Science for systematic reviews published through August 2017 for eHealth and immunizations (using pre-determined concepts for each). Two independent reviewers selected studies based on a priori criteria; disagreement was resolved by consensus. The quality of the included studies was evaluated using the Measurement Tool to Assess Systematic Reviews (AMSTAR).

Results: The primary search identified 198 results. After eliminating duplicates 158 remained. Upon applying the a priori set criteria to these, six articles were left to analyze. Four articles showed a positive relationship (a demonstrated benefit, improvement, increase in vaccination uptake, etc. when using eHealth technologies for immunization), one showed a promising relation / with potential, and one showed unknown effects as it focused on the difficulty of analyzing cost-benefits of immunization information systems (IIS).

Conclusion: The review leads to a recommendation of using eHealth technologies to encourage immunizations and increase vaccination adherence and uptake and to continue assessing and documenting the use of eHealth for immunization.

Keywords: Digital health; Electronic immunisation registry/ies; Immunisation information system(s); Immunisation(s); Vaccination(s); eHealth.