Provider Attitudes Regarding Use of an Immunization Information System to Identify Children With Asthma for Influenza Vaccination

In Brief Objectives Despite longstanding national guidelines, many children with asthma do not receive annual influenza vaccinations. Information from Medicaid-administrative claims data was integrated into the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR) to prompt providers regarding influenza vaccination among children with high-risk conditions such as asthma. The attitudes of pediatric primary care providers regarding the implementation of this system were assessed. Methods A survey was sent in February 2006 to office-based general pediatricians (n = 300) and family physicians (n = 300) in Michigan. The survey focused on influenza vaccination during the 2005–2006 influenza season and attitudes regarding a reminder system for providers using the MCIR. Results Overall response rate was 67 percent. MCIR participation was high (91%) among respondents, and most (83%) had MCIR information available to them prior to visits with pediatric patients. Most physicians (75%) considered the MCIR high-risk indicator for influenza vaccination a feature that they would find helpful. Some respondents reported concerns that the reminder system is limited to Medicaid patients only (44%) and regarding the completeness of Medicaid data to identify children with asthma (24%). Conclusions Physicians have a positive overall view of a statewide registry-based automated reminder system to assist in identifying children with asthma for influenza vaccination, albeit with specific areas of concern. The article assess attitudes of pediatric primary care providers regarding the implementation of a statewide registry-based automated reminder system, the Michigan Care Improvement Registry (MCIR), to assist in identifying children with asthma for influenza vaccination. Physicians have a positive overall view of the MCIR, albeit with specific areas of concern.