Innovations to Improve Parent Contact Information in Immunization Registries

描述（由申请人提供）：尽管在实现2010年健康人群免疫目标方面取得了进展，但美国各地仍有疫苗接种不足的儿童，特别是生活在城市地区的儿童。父母或提供者未能认识到儿童应接种疫苗（或过期）是一个持续存在的问题，也是疫苗接种不足的重要根本原因。作为回应，过去十年中，免疫登记处出现了前所未有的增长，这些登记处跟踪免疫记录并评估疫苗接种状况。大多数免疫登记处还能够为需要接种疫苗的儿童发出个性化通知。通知可以通过邮件，电话或计算机进行，以鼓励预约即将到来的计划接种（提醒）或那些过期的剂量（召回）。有充分的证据证明免疫提醒/召回的有效性。充分发挥基于登记册的提醒/召回系统的潜力的一个重要障碍是父母联系信息的准确性和完整性。如果没有准确的联系信息，邮寄的提醒/召回通知就无法送达适当的当事方，电话信息也无法送达预定的收件人。先前的报告表明，未能通过邮件或电话提醒/召回通知与父母联系是司空见惯的。这项拟议的研究将开发和评估创新的方法，成功地联系父母，了解他们的孩子需要的特定免疫接种。创新，以提高成功的父母联系免疫提醒程序的具体目标是：（1）描述目前使用的方法，由全州免疫登记更新家长联系信息;（2）评估现有的登记数据的有效性和有用性在联系家长;（3）确定新的战略，产生和更新家长联系信息;（4）找出创新的策略，以联络在登记册内而又无法以邮递或电话联络的儿童的家长;（5）从成功联络家长和疫苗注射情况的改变两方面，评估新策略的成效和效用;及（6）评估新策略的成本效益。这项拟议中的研究是独一无二的，因为它侧重于全国最大和最先进的全州免疫登记处之一的经验。我们将探索现有的信息系统作为潜在的家长联系信息的新来源，以及成功更新免疫登记数据的最有效手段。对于那些无法通过邮件或电话通知可靠联系的个人，我们将开发和测试针对“无法联系”人群的新联系方法。这项研究的结果将为其他州和社区提供信息，以改善免疫登记处的父母联系信息。免疫登记是进行免疫提醒/召回的有用机制;然而，不准确的父母联系信息限制了登记的有效性。该项目将制定和评估不同的战略，以改善国家免疫登记册中的父母联系信息。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Although progress has been made toward achieving the Healthy People 2010 immunization objectives, pockets of undervaccinated children remain throughout the United States, especially those living in urban areas. The failure of parents or providers to recognize that a child is due (or overdue) for vaccinations is a persistent problem and an important underlying cause of inadequate vaccination. In response, the past decade has witnessed unprecedented growth of immunization registries which track immunization records and assess vaccination status. Most immunization registries are also capable of generating individualized notices for children that require vaccinations. Notification may be made by mail, telephone or computer to either encourage appointments for upcoming scheduled vaccinations (reminders) or those doses that are overdue (recalls). There is ample evidence demonstrating the effectiveness of immunization reminder/recall. An important barrier to achieving the full potential of registry-based reminder / recall systems is the accuracy and completeness of parents' contact information. Without accurate contact information, mailed reminder/ recall notices cannot be delivered to the appropriate parties and telephone messages cannot reach the intended recipients. Prior reports indicate that failures to contact parents with mail or telephone reminder/recall notices are commonplace. The proposed study will develop and evaluate innovative approaches to successfully contact parents regarding the specific immunizations their child needs. The specific aims of the Innovations to Improve Successful Contact of Parents for Immunization Reminders program are to: (1) describe the methods currently used by a statewide immunization registry to update parent contact information; (2) evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of existing registry data in contacting parents; (3) identify new strategies for generating and updating parent contact information; (4) identify innovative strategies to contact parents of children in the registry who cannot be contacted by mail or telephone; (5) evaluate the effectiveness and usefulness of new strategies in terms of both successful parent contact and changes in vaccination status; and (6) evaluate the cost-effectiveness of new strategies. The proposed study is unique in that it focuses on the experiences of one of the nation's largest and most advanced statewide immunization registries. We will explore a broad array of existing information systems as potential new sources of parent contact information as well as the most effective means to successfully update immunization registry data. For those individuals that cannot be reliably contacted through mail or telephone notices, we will develop and test new contact methods targeted to "unreachable" populations. Results of the study will serve to inform efforts in other states and communities to improve parent contact information in immunization registries. Immunization registries are useful mechanisms to conduct immunization reminder/recall; however, inaccurate parent contact information limits the effectiveness of registries for this purpose. This project will develop and evaluate different strategies to improve the parent contact information included in a state immunization registry.