KEYWORDS:
Record assessment; welfare
BACKGROUND:
Up-to-date immunization status of children under 6 years is required for eligibility for TANF. San Diego developed a protocol for immunization record assessment by welfare eligibility workers with direct feedback to parents; this intervention has been integrated into the San Diego Regional Immunization Registry.
OBJECTIVE:
Determine the effectiveness of computerized record assessment/feedback in welfare offices in raising immunization coverage and populating the registry.
METHOD:
Immunization records of children under age 6 are assessed manually or through the registry at each certification/recertification visit. Parents receive verbal and written feedback on their children’s immunization status. Data is analyzed for quality assurance and to monitor coverage; results are compared with county data as determined by population-based surveys.
RESULT:
Immunization records of nearly 80,000 children have been assessed and entered in the registry. To date, 6 of 11 county TANF sites have transitioned to the Registry, improving numbers assessed and accuracy. Adding TANF sites has assisted in populating the registry with at-risk children. The percentage of eligible children assessed up-to-date rose from 67% in 1997 to 77% in 2002 but remains lower than coverage for the county as a whole.
CONCLUSION:
Computerized record assessment and feedback to parents, in conjunction with the Welfare Reform Act, is an accurate and effective tool for raising immunization coverage among children in families receiving public assistance.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describe the impact of computerizing record assessment in raising coverage among children receiving public assistance.
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Back to The 2003 Immunization Registry Conference (October 27-29, 2003)