Provider attitudes toward public-private collaboration to improve immunization reminder/recall: a mixed-methods study

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Health Services Research
• Immunization Programs

Background:

• Reminder/recall systems are crucial for maintaining high vaccination rates.
• Primary care practices face challenges in implementing effective reminder/recall strategies.
• Collaboration between healthcare providers and public health departments can enhance immunization outreach.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate primary care providers' current immunization reminder/recall practices.
• To assess provider preferences for collaboration with health departments on reminder/recall efforts.
• To examine attitudes towards practice-based versus population-based reminder/recall systems.

Main Methods:

• Survey of primary care providers involved in immunization delivery in Colorado.
• Semistructured interviews with practice staff from diverse practice types and locations (urban/rural).
• Intervention group received population-based reminder/recall from health departments; control group did not.

Main Results:

• Provider preferences for reminder/recall responsibility were split, with a slight lean towards health department involvement.
• Cost and feasibility were key barriers for practice-based recall, especially in urban settings.
• Rural practices showed greater support for population-based recall, though data accuracy concerns were noted.

Conclusions:

• A collaborative model for immunization reminder/recall, involving both providers and health departments, is preferred by many.
• This collaborative approach may effectively address existing barriers to practice-based reminder/recall systems.