Tuesday, October 28, 2003 - 2:00 PM
3617

This presentation is part of C1: Immunization Registries: Evaluation of Cost Effective Strategies

Using an Immunization Registry: Effect on Practice Costs and Time

Judith E. Glazner, Preventive Medicine and Biometrics, University of Colorado School of Medicine, 4200 E. Ninth Ave, Box B-119, Denver, CO, USA, Brenda L Beaty, Colorado Health Outcomes Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 12477 E 19th Ave, Aurora, CO, USA, Kellyn Pearson, Children's Outcomes Research Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, P.O. Box 6508/F456, Aurora, CO, USA, Elaine Lowery, University of Colorado Health Sciences, Colorado Rural Immunization Services, 12477 E. 19th Avenue, Bldg. 406, Aurora, CO, USA, and Stephen Berman, Department of Pediatrics & the Children's Outcomes Research Program, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, 1056 E. 19th Avenue, B032, Denver, CO, USA.


KEYWORDS:
Keywords: immunization, vaccination, cost analysis, registries

BACKGROUND:
Background. Immunization registries have the ability to consolidate multiple immunization records scattered among different providers into complete immunization histories, allowing documentation of immunizations for various legal purposes, generation of needed-immunization lists for participating children, vaccine inventory management, and outreach support for under-immunized children. They have been endorsed by public and private health professionals as an important means of sustaining high immunization rates. But some providers see the cost of registry use as a barrier to participation.

OBJECTIVE:
Objective. We sought to determine the effects on cost and time resulting from registry use.

METHOD:
Methods. Using a pre-post design, we employed time-motion methods to measure labor costs and time for immunization-related activities that could be affected by registry use before development of a regional registry in Colorado and after the registry was in place and being fully used. Participating in both time periods were two rural family practices, two rural community health centers (CHC), three urban pediatric practices, and two rural health departments/county nursing services.

RESULT:
Results. Cost/dose increased slightly in the post-registry period for private practices/CHCs ($0.56/dose in 2001 dollars) and for health departments/county nursing services ($0.38). Since costs can increase for several reasons, including salary increases above inflation, we analyzed time spent per dose, and found that staff time decreased for private practices/CHCs, but increased substantially for health departments/nursing services.

CONCLUSION:
Conclusion. The findings of this study should persuade private practices/CHCs that registry participation provides a net benefit by making the vaccination process more efficient and, absent above-average salary increases, less costly.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Learning Objective. Attendees will understand the effects of registry use on providers? immunization costs and on time spent giving vaccinations.

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