title: Pediatricians' attitudes about collaborations with other community vaccinators in the delivery of seasonal influenza vaccine.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Achieving universal influenza vaccination among children may necessitate collaborative delivery involving both practices and community vaccinators. We assessed among pediatricians nationally their preferences regarding location of influenza vaccination for patient subgroups and their attitudes about collaborative delivery methods.
  
  
  METHODS
  The design/setting was a national survey conducted from July 2009 to October 2009. Participants included a representative sample of pediatricians from the American Academy of Pediatrics.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 79% (330 of 416). Physicians felt strongly that vaccination should occur in their practice for children with chronic conditions (52%) and healthy 6-24-month-old infants (48%), but few felt strongly about healthy 5-18-year-olds (17%). Most (78%) thought having multiple delivery sites increased vaccination rates, and 86% thought that influenza vaccine should be available at school. Physicians reported being very/somewhat willing to hold joint community clinics with public health entities (76%) and to suggest to patient subgroups that they receive vaccine at community sites, including public clinics or pharmacies (76%). The most frequently reported barriers to collaborative delivery with community sites or school-located delivery included concerns about the following: estimating the amount of vaccine to order if children are vaccinated elsewhere (community 56%; school 80%); transfer of vaccine records (community 57%; school 78%); and reluctance of families to go outside of the office (community 45%; school 74%).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most physicians are in favor of school-located or collaborative influenza vaccine delivery with community vaccinators, especially for healthy school-aged children. Collaborative approaches will require planning to ensure transfer of records, effective targeting of subgroups, and provisions to protect providers from being left with extra influenza supply.
authors: Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Denver, USA. allison.kempe@childrenscolorado.org
authors: Allison
authors: A
authors: Kempe
authors: Pascale
authors: P
authors: Wortley
authors: Sean
authors: S
authors: O'Leary
authors: Lori A
authors: LA
authors: Crane
authors: Matthew F
authors: MF
authors: Daley
authors: Shannon
authors: S
authors: Stokley
authors: Christine
authors: C
authors: Babbel
authors: Fran
authors: F
authors: Dong
authors: Brenda
authors: B
authors: Beaty
authors: Laura
authors: L
authors: Seewald
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Suh
authors: L Miriam
authors: LM
authors: Dickinson
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D003695:Delivery of Health Care; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D010372:Pediatrics / Q000379:methods*; D010593:Pharmaceutical Services; D010820:Physicians; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D012572:School Health Services; D014481:United States; D014611:Vaccination / Q000379:methods* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines