KEYWORDS:
Immunization, economics, evaluation AFIX

BACKGROUND:
Since the mid-1990s, the CDC has recommended the implementation of the Assessment, Feedback, and Information eXchange (AFIX) strategy as a way for states and providers to increase childhood immunization rates. In Georgia, the use of AFIX helped increase the median vaccination rate for children ages 21-23 months from 53 percent in 1988 to 89 percent in 1994. There is a need, however, to examine the economics of AFIX.

OBJECTIVE(S):
To develop methodology for assessing costs and productivity associated with AFIX assessments, and to list the variables needed for such an assessment.

METHOD(S):
Construct models that will allow a comparisons of costs and productivity between AFIX combined with Vaccines for Children (VFC) visits and AFIX alone, as well as between Clinic Assessment Software Application reports (CASAs) and less extensive CASA’s (“mini” CASAs). The variables examined in these models will be costs for employees, materials, and administration of performing assessments and the number of assessments. Several states keep the necessary records.

RESULT(S):
The constructed models can estimate productivity in terms of cost of per successfully completed assessment using the following data: numbers of personnel, wage-rates, cost of transportation and supplies, number of providers (public and private) assessed, activities conducted during assessments, and number of each type of assessment conducted. Currently, the following data are available: numbers and types of assessments, numbers of employees and wage rates, and costs of transportation and supplies. In order to evaluate AFIX, collecting the remaining data needed for the model is a research priority.

CONCLUSIONS(S):
Conclusions will be based upon results.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
Describes a model to evaluate the economics of AFIX and identify the data that must be collected in order to use the model.