Ashwini Zenooz, MD, president of Commure, a health IT software company, said polarized discourse over vaccine passports feels like "déjà vu," according to an Aug. 19 op-ed published in Fast Company.
Dr. Zenooz wrote that discussions over vaccine passports bring her flashbacks to exactly 12 years ago, when the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act of 2009 provided hospitals billions of dollars in subsidies to purchase and maintain EHRs. It led to the widespread adoption of EHRs to promote quality, safety and efficiency. However, the adoption was developed in silos without the end-user in mind. It is often connected to widespread burnout in clinicians.
In conversations over vaccine passports, proponents argue that tech versions of the paper CDC card offer safety and improve quality and efficiency. As these digitized vaccine credentials roll out, there is a larger imperative to avoid making similar mistakes, Dr. Zenooz said.
In a rush to digitize, healthcare leaders may overly focus on creating technology that meets regulatory requirements rather than on the end-users. Dr. Zenooz said her experience navigating her mother's cancer diagnosis showed how fragmented healthcare can be because the technology puts tech in the center instead of the patient.
Developers may want to consider designing credential systems that are interoperable so patients can easily share their status. The new tech also cannot perpetuate existing inequalities in healthcare. If it is going to work, it needs to work for everyone, Dr. Zenooz said.
Vaccine passports renew the conversation over what role the patient plays in access, sharing and control over their own data. When deploying vaccine passports, they need to be patient-centered and equitable.
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