QUESTION
Is the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) utilizing reminder systems for immunization?
0:40:48
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69 sec
The Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH) occasionally uses reminder systems through the Citywide Immunization Registry (CIR), but primarily promotes providers' use of these tools for patient recalls.
- The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends reminder or recall systems to enhance immunization rates.
- DOHMH acknowledges the effectiveness of reminders coming directly from providers than the health department.
- Despite low immunization rates, DOHMH uses the CIR for direct outreach sparingly, favoring provider-initiated contact.
- Council Member Julie Menin suggests considering additional outreach methods due to persistently low immunization numbers.
Julie Menin
0:40:48
So the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends a reminder or recall system such as a letter or a phone call to remind parents about immunizations.
0:41:00
Is DOHMA using that?
Dr. Celia Quinn
0:41:03
So sometimes we do reminders through our CIR, but we are mostly encouraging providers to use the tools that we have put into our city wide immunization registry to recall their own patients.
0:41:14
Again, the recommendation coming from the person's provider is the most valuable recommendation to get people to get vaccinated rather than coming directly from the health department.
Julie Menin
0:41:23
But given that the immunization numbers are down, as you testified, why wouldn't deal HMH choose every tool in its resource such as having the agency reach out directly on top of the provider doing so.
Dr. Celia Quinn
0:41:35
Right.
0:41:35
So sometimes we do that.
0:41:37
We all we're we're using CIR tools to reach out directly to people, but also having providers use that those tools themselves.
Julie Menin
0:41:45
Okay.
0:41:45
I mean, it just seems that since the numbers are still down, something has to change.
0:41:49
So I think it would inert to the city's benefit to think outside of the box and think about the agency overlaying also outreach.