title: Provider attitudes regarding use of an immunization information system to identify children with asthma for influenza vaccination.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  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.
authors.affiliation: Child Health Evaluation and Research Unit, Division of General Pediatrics, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan 48109, USA. kjd@med.umich.edu
authors.forename: Kevin J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Dombkowski
authors.forename: Sonia W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Leung
authors.forename: Sarah J
authors.initials: SJ
authors.lastname: Clark
mesh_terms: D001249:Asthma / Q000150:complications*; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007256:Information Systems / Q000458:organization & administration*; D007345:Insurance Claim Review; D008484:Medicaid / Q000458:organization & administration; D008824:Michigan; D010821:Physicians, Family; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines