We’ve improved how county of residence is assigned in COVID-19 vaccination data

Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve updated our processes to ensure the data presented on the ADHS COVID-19 Data Dashboard is as complete and accurate as possible. Today, we are improving the way a patient’s county of residence is assigned in our Vaccine Administration dashboard.

Previously, county assignment was based on the address entered into the patient record in the state’s immunization registry: ASIIS. This has occasionally resulted in the entry of an incorrect county, or more commonly, the county field being left blank. Our Geographic Information Specialists have integrated new geocoding processes into our data analysis that allow for the county to be automatically assigned based on electronic mapping of a patient’s address, improving the accuracy of the county data.

In most cases, you probably won’t notice this change when reviewing our vaccine dashboard. The biggest impact is a significant (82%) reduction in the number of doses administered where the county field was unknown.

We’re proud that the data dashboard has become an essential way for Arizonans to get the information they need to know where COVID-19 stands in our state. Today’s improvement doesn’t make a huge change to the dashboard itself, but it allows ADHS and our county public health partners to have the fullest possible understanding of progress in getting Arizonans vaccinated against COVID-19.

By Jessica Rigler|2022-02-03T15:20:43-07:00February 3rd, 2022|Preparedness|Comments Off

About the Author: Jessica Rigler

Jessica Rigler, an Arizona native, began her public health career more than 15 years ago, serving in varied roles with local, state, federal, and international public health agencies. Jessica has been with the Arizona Department of Health Services for over 12 years, supporting evaluation activities with the state immunization program, serving as the state’s first Healthcare Associated Infections Coordinator, and leading the Bureau of Epidemiology and Disease Control. She is currently an Assistant Director overseeing the Division of Public Health Preparedness at ADHS, which spans the areas of Epidemiology and Disease Control, Emergency Medical Services, Public Health Statistics, Public Health Emergency Preparedness and the Arizona State Public Health Laboratory. In recent years, Jessica has worked with the ADHS team to lead critical public health responses including opioids and COVID-19. Jessica holds Bachelor’s degrees in biochemistry and human development from the University of California, San Diego, and a Master’s degree in public health from Emory University. She is a Certified Health Education Specialist and certified in infection control.