Evaluation report
Strengthening Immunisation Data Systems: a mixed-method evaluation of the Lao Electronic Immunisation Registry
Cyra Patel, Praveena Gunaratnam, Gemma Saravanos, Mathida Thongseng, Amy Jo Vassallo et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-haiku-4-5-20251001Laos introduced an Electronic Immunisation Registry in 2022 to improve routine immunisation tracking. A mixed-methods evaluation in 2024 found that healthcare workers found the system easy to use and it helped identify under-immunised children, but significant problems remain including insufficient training, poor data quality, and incomplete birth registration. The system shows promise but needs stronger government support, better staffing, and improved digital infrastructure to fulfil its potential.
Key points
- Healthcare workers (26 surveyed) found the EIR easy to use, though 65.4% reported training was insufficient
- Strong uptake reported with improved ability to generate reports and identify under-immunised children
- Data quality assessment of 849,055 vaccination events showed high levels of missing or invalid data
- Only 12.46% of births were registered in the EIR within 3 days and 13.45% within 7 days
- Barriers to success include workforce capacity, digital infrastructure, governance, financing, and limited data use
Limitations
The evaluation was conducted over a short period (April–June 2024) and focuses on implementation feasibility rather than impact on vaccination coverage rates. It cannot measure whether the EIR has actually increased immunisation rates or child health outcomes in Laos.
Abstract
The Lao People’s Democratic Republic introduced an Electronic Immunisation Registry (EIR) for routine immunisation in 2022. This mixed-methods study evaluated the EIR’s implementation to inform its optimisation and use. Data were collected (April–June 2024) using document review, health facility surveys, interviews, workflow observations and data quality assessments. Data were analysed separately and then triangulated to develop recommendations. Among 26 healthcare workers, perceptions were largely positive and all found the EIR easy to use. However, the perceived effect of the EIR on workload was mixed, and training was largely considered insufficient (17/26, 65.4%). Eighteen stakeholder interviews highlighted strong EIR uptake, improved ability to generate reports and identification of under-immunised children, but persistent data gaps, limited data use, staff shortages, reliance on development partners, and the need for stronger government ownership and a long-term roadmap. Data quality assessment of 849,055 vaccination events showed high levels of missing or invalid data. Only 12.46% and 13.45% of births were registered in the EIR within 3 and 7 days, respectively. This evaluation demonstrated that EIR implementation is feasible and acceptable, but barriers, particularly workforce capacity and capability, digital infrastructure, governance, and financing, must be addressed to realise its potential to increase vaccination coverage.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- Implementation of an Electronic Immunisation Registry (EIR) for routine immunisation data collection and management
- Population
- 26 healthcare workers and 18 stakeholders in Laos; 849,055 vaccination events assessed
Key finding
Healthcare workers found the EIR easy to use with largely positive perceptions