Using a Web-Based Reporting Application to Evaluate a Registry Software Transition

Background: The Los Angeles-Orange County Region of the California Immunization Registry (CAIR) developed a web-based reporting application to improve data quality assessments and follow-up with providers.  This application, known as the Provider Status Report (PSR), became available in mid-2009 to all regions using CAIR software.

Objectives: Determine how well high-volume providers were adjusting to the transition from VaxTrack’s software to the CAIR application.  Determine how many providers were using the inventory feature in CAIR (unavailable in VaxTrack), and whether this new feature had any impact on provider participation. Compare this with historical registry data stored in the Provider Management Database (PMDB) to determine changes in registry use by providers.

Methods: A small, random sample group of high volume providers (n=34) was selected.  One office had closed and 29 offices had completed training.  The PSR was used to determine how many of those trained used the inventory function to enter immunizations and how many transcribed immunization.  If the provider showed no activity, PSR was used to determine the frequency of user log-ins. 

Results: PSR identified 56% of the high volume providers entered immunizations using the inventory function in CAIR.  This increased to 74% when transcribed immunizations were included.  A comparison between the number of new immunizations entered since the transition and the same time period of the previous year, however, showed a 40% decline in number of immunizations entered. An analysis of log-in activity showed that 6 of the trained providers were not using the registry.  Follow-up calls to those offices identified staffing issues as the primary reason for lack of use. 

Conclusions: The PSR application is an effective tool for evaluating the progress of the CAIR  transition.  Although many of the high volume providers showed consistent use of the registry, the overall activity was down.  This decline may be attributed to changes in training procedures and a reduction in routine, post-training follow-up.   These factors will be addressed,  and the sample group will be re-evaluated quarterly to assess progress.