Monday, October 18, 2004 - 3:35 PM
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Evaluation of private provider input into a city-wide immunization registry

BACKGROUND:
Philadelphia’s immunization registry seeks to include all private and public health care providers who immunize children. Registry data can assist in determining and tracking immunization coverage levels by provider and geographical areas. More information on the accuracy and completeness of immunization registry data will increase confidence in the inferences drawn from these registries.

OBJECTIVE:

METHOD:
The Philadelphia Department of Health conducted chart reviews of patients of all private providers receiving government-funded Vaccines-for-Children (VFC) vaccine and located in zip codes where preschool children are at greatest risk for low immunization rates. A simple random sample of 45 charts of children aged 19-35 months was selected in each of 30 practices (family physicians, pediatricians and hospital-based clinics). Chart data were compared to the immunization registry to determine the proportion of children missing from the registry and to assess differences in up-to-date (UTD) coverage rates between chart and registry data.

RESULT:
Of the 620 children randomly selected for review, 567 (91.5%) were in the registry. Those providers transferring data to the registry via an electronic file had significantly (p-value) higher coverage when calculated using the registry than those who sent either a log form or billing printout to the public health department for manual entry into the registry.

CONCLUSION:
Although almost all children with chart records were in the registry, registry data were less complete and immunization coverage rates were significantly lower compared to chart data. Providers who use electronic transfer of data from the chart into the registry had more children in the registry and more complete registry data compared to providers who used long forms or billing print outs with manual data entry. Electronic data entry systems should therefore be encouraged in linking private providers with registries.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:

  Recorded presentation

See more of Understanding Data Quality Issues with Manual and Electronic Provider Data Submissions
See more of The 2004 Immunization Registry Conference