Conducting a Large-Scale, Statewide Training Program for NYSIIS

Background:
In 2008, New York State (NYS) implemented a statewide, web-based New York State Immunization Information System (NYSIIS), in response to passage of a new Public Health Law mandating immunization reporting effective January 1, 2008. Due to a compressed timeframe from development to rollout, an aggressive training plan was developed to make training accessible to as many users as possible.

Setting:
Various training venues were utilized across NYS using a regional approach.

Population:
The initial training target populations were participants in existing server-based registries and all health care providers participating in the Vaccines For Children (VFC) program. Ultimately, the goal is to train all child health providers in NYS.

Project Description:
A regional training approach targeted six different regions in four-week blocks. The training methods included interactive in-person classroom sessions, online webinars and self-guided training via the user manual. This approach allowed for staggered implementation. Health care providers began reporting the first of the month following completion of training in their region. In addition, open forum user group meetings were held in each region to discuss implementation progress.

Results/Lessons Learned:
At the conclusion of the regional roll out, 2,146 participants from 1,082 organizations had been formally trained. Communication prior to conducting training and throughout the training process was key to successful implementation. User group meetings provided an unanticipated opportunity for training and reinforcement of application functionality to those that had previously attended training.