title: Provider Attitudes Regarding Vaccine Tracking Systems in Pediatric Practices.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess among US pediatricians' systems for tracking vaccine administration and inventory and attitudes about these systems; and attitudes regarding and perceived barriers to adoption of a 2-dimensional bar code systems.
  
  
  METHODS
  Internet and mail survey of a nationally representative network of pediatricians between September 2011 and January 2012.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The response rate was 71% (288 of 408). The most common methods for recording vaccine information were manual entry into an electronic (52%) or paper (27%) record; 76% recorded information in ≥2 places. Physicians reported ordering vaccine on the basis of seasonal increases in demand (55%), paper-based inventory (52%), or when stock looks low (47%); 79% reported it was time consuming to track inventory and 24% reported their practices frequently run out of vaccines. Among those participating in an immunization information system, 29% transmitted data by automatic uploads and 58% entered data manually. Physicians agreed that bar codes could facilitate tracking of vaccine inventory (96%), would improve patient safety (96%), would be more reliable and accurate than current systems (93%), and could improve the efficiency of vaccine administration (90%). Barriers to adoption of a bar code system included need for software (52%), information technology support (42%), and computer equipment (33%). The total cost at which >50% reported they would definitely or probably adopt a bar code system was between $1000 and $4999.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Most pediatricians report using inefficient systems for tracking vaccine administration and inventory and recognize multiple potential benefits of incorporating vaccine bar coding into their practice. To facilitate adoption, costs will need to be contained and technological barriers addressed.
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo. Electronic address: sean.o'leary@childrenscolorado.org.
authors.forename: Sean T
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: O'Leary
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Division of General Internal Medicine, Denver Health, Denver, Colo.
authors.forename: Laura P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Hurley
authors.affiliation: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
authors.forename: Erin D
authors.initials: ED
authors.lastname: Kennedy
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Department of Community and Behavioral Health, School of Public Health, Denver, Colo.
authors.forename: Lori A
authors.initials: LA
authors.lastname: Crane
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
authors.forename: Michaela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Brtnikova
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
authors.forename: Mandy A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Allison
authors.affiliation: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Atlanta, Ga.
authors.forename: Warren
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Williams
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo.
authors.forename: Brenda L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Beaty
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Jimenez-Zambrano
authors.affiliation: Adult and Child Center for Health Outcomes Research and Delivery Science, Aurora, Colo; Department of Pediatrics, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus and Children's Hospital Colorado, Aurora, Colo.
authors.forename: Allison
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kempe
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D004282:Documentation / Q000379:methods*; D001330:Electronic Data Processing; D004864:Equipment and Supplies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D000072143:Pediatricians; D010818:Practice Patterns, Physicians'; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014612:Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000600:supply & distribution
chemical_list: D014612:Vaccines
keywords: immunization; vaccine bar code; vaccine inventory; vaccine tracking