Local immunisation rates continue to slide. Here’s what you can do about it.

The latest ACIR childhood immunisation rates reveal that only 86.8% of children in our division are fully immunised. The coverage rate trend has continue downward since May 2008.

1) Identify who’s responsible

Nominate an individual to be responsible in your practice for recording immunisations, checking that data is correctly recorded, and sending information to ACIR.

2) Get your defaults right

For data sent electronically to ACIR, check which vaccine the drop-down menu defaults to, and ensure all staff including medical staff are aware of the difference between the default setting and which vaccine needs to be actively selected.  Particularly relevant for 2, 4 and 6 month immunisations.

Manually recorded data errors might still occur if incorrect vaccine is selected.

3) Set recalls early

Set the recalls to 1 month before the child’s 4th Birthday, as 4 yr old immunisations are now overdue at 4 years and 1 month.

Remember at 4 yrs immunisations are MMR (Priorix) and Infanrix IPV, as opposed to Infanrix Hexa early in the schedule.

4) Know your 20As

Check that your practice is receiving quarterly 20A reports from ACIR.

Use the quarterly 20A reports to search records & check  immunisation status of children. Check the data sent to ACIR against the vaccine due and the child’s recorded notes.

The 20A report lists the children who were not fully immunised in the November 2009 calculation.

Data cleaning with the 20A is the key to achieving a better result in the November 2009 recalculation (due to run in Feb 2010). The recalculation re-assesses the immunisation status of those children identified on the GPII 20A report.

The recalculation is the last opportunity for practices to achieve 90% and the associated outcomes payments for this quarter  (outcomes payments are $3.50 x WPE for practices >90%).

5) Registrars need to sign off

New registrars need to have a signed 46E agreement submitted with Medicare Australia, otherwise their practice’s 20A report will be withheld.

6) Everybody on the same page

Improve communication within the practice about immunisations being given. Admin, GPs and nurses need to share information.

Who is responsible for recording immunisations administered in your practice?

7) Blitz

Blitz children’s records when they attend the practice to see if immunisations are up to date.

For example, 1 week every month check with parents regarding the child’s immunisation status as patients check in at the reception desk.

And…

Remember the results affects your practice’s opportunity to receive General Practice Immunisation Incentive payments as well as health outcomes.  For help contact me at jom@bddgp.org.au.

Tags: immunisation