Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP) program is a quality improvement program for healthcare providers participating in the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH) Immunization Division Vaccines for Children (VFC) Program. The goal of the Immunization Division is to increase immunization rates and reduce vaccine-preventable diseases. Therefore, the IQIP program is designed to increase on-time vaccination of children and adolescents with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommended vaccines, thereby reducing missed opportunities to vaccinate and improving immunization delivery to help make healthcare provider practices more efficient at the provider level.

• IQIP for Providers At-a-Glance
• IQIP Strategies
• The Role of the Immunization Champion

IQIP Benefits

• Saves time and money by ensuring children and adolescents are vaccinated on time so more visits do not have to be scheduled and staff resources do not have to be devoted to catch-up vaccinations and follow-up activities.
• Allows tailored quality improvement strategies that best meet needs and provider workflow.
• Uses immunization information systems (IIS) data (ImmPRINT) to better assess on-time vaccination coverage and individual patient vaccination needs.
• Helps providers meet the current Coordinated Care Organizations (CCO) Incentive measure focused on childhood and adolescent immunization rate improvement.
• Assists in meeting Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS) measures (a tool used by health insurance plans to measure performance/quality on important dimensions of care and service) for children and adolescents.
• Fulfills the Healthy People 2020 objective to increase the number of providers who have had vaccination coverage levels measured within the past year.

IQIP Process

IQIP is a 12-month process where ADPH immunization field staff (“IQIP consultants”) use a site visit approach with VFC providers that includes QI capacity building, immunization coverage goals and data, technical assistance, education/information, and resource sharing. At the initial site visit, immunization field staff collaborates with VFC providers to review workflow and coverage goals and data for children and adolescents in their practice, and then providers choose two of the four QI strategies to implement.

Throughout the 12-month IQIP process, contact is maintained with providers’ designated IQIP coordinators via follow-up telephone calls at two- and six-month intervals to assess progress, provide technical assistance, education/information, and support, and assist the provider in successfully implementing the chosen strategies. At the end of 12 months, immunization field staff rerun coverage data and review coverage reports to discuss year-over-year changes toward coverage goals.

Immunization field staff provides technical assistance to VFC providers to support the following four QI strategies with a list of helpful resources:

1. Facilitate Return for Vaccination
   (Communicates importance of returning)
   
   On-Time Vaccination/Reasons to Follow CDC's Recommended Immunization Schedule
   
   Growing Up with Vaccines: What Should Parents Know?
   
   Suggestions to Improve Immunization Services
   
   Reminder Systems for Increasing Childhood Vaccination Rates
   
   Educational Materials for Office Staff and Parents
   
   
2. Leverage Immunization Information System (IIS)/ImmPRINT Registry Functionality to Support Immunization Practice
   (Maximizes use, vaccination data for vaccines due, and when to administer)
   
   ImmPRINT Enrollment Benefits, Data Exchange, HL7 Interface, EHR Vendor Guidelines, Meaningful Use
   
   Health Care Providers “Be the Boss” Flyer
   
   HL7 Error Guide and FAQs
   
   Vaccine Coverage Report Card Flyer (Compare our practice against others by county and state)
   
   ImmPRINT Manual
   
   
3. Give a Strong Vaccine Recommendation
   (Centers on parent/provider discussion, strategy, and HPV)
   
   IQIP - Talking to Parents About Vaccines
   
   Fact Sheet: Tips for Talking to Parents About Infant Vaccines
   
   Fact Sheet: Tips for Talking to Parents About HPV Vaccine
   
   “Announcement Approach” for Recommending Adolescent Vaccines
   
   HPV Vaccine Safety Fact Sheet
   
   HPV Resources for Healthcare Professionals
   
   HPV Educational Materials for Office Staff and Parents
   
   Top 10 Tips for HPV Vaccination Success
   
   #HowIRecommend Vaccination Video Series
   
   HPV IQ/Tools to Improve HPV Vaccination in Primary Care
   
   National HPV Vaccination Roundtable
   
   Cancer Prevention/HPV Vaccination in Your Practice: An Action Guide for Physicians/Nurse Practitioners
   
   Cancer Prevention/HPV Vaccination in Your Practice: An Action Guide for Nurses and Medical Assistants
   
   Cancer Prevention/HPV Vaccination in Your Practice: An Action Guide for Office Administrative Staff
   
   ADPH Immunization Resources
   
   
4. Strengthen Vaccination Communications
   (Focuses on promotion and positive vaccine messaging)
   
   Sample Vaccine Policy Statement
   
   Standing Orders Templates for Administering Vaccines to Children, Teens
   
   How Nurses and Medical Assistants Can Foster a Culture of Immunization in the Practice
   
   American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) Immunizations Social Media Toolkit
   
   Print Materials/Flyers/Posters
   
   Video/Audio Resources
   
   Clinician and Support Staff Action Guides
   
   Social Media Graphics
   
   Social Media Resource Library
   
   Resources to Encourage Routine Childhood Vaccinations/Social Media Content (Facebook, Instagram, Pinterest, X, Infographic, Newsletter)