Targeted Vaccinations: Provider Reminder Systems

Task Force Finding*

Provider reminder interventions inform those who administer vaccinations that individual clients are due for specific vaccinations. Techniques for delivering reminders range from using notations, prompts, or stickers in clients’ charts to standardized checklists generated by the clinical staff or from computer databases and registries. Reminders can be directed to primary healthcare providers or to one or more members of the clinic staff.

The Task Force recommends provider reminders on the basis of strong evidence of effectiveness in improving targeted vaccination coverage. Reviewed studies focused on influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines. Although the review did not include an evaluation of the effectiveness of provider reminders when implemented alone in increasing targeted vaccination for HBV, the recommendation should be considered applicable to this vaccine as well. Additionally, the findings should be applicable to providers and staff in most healthcare settings where improvements in coverage are needed. We did not find any economic evaluations of provider reminder systems or any harms associated with use of these systems.

*From the following publication:

Task Force for Community Preventive Services. Recommendations to improve targeted vaccination coverage among high-risk adults. [PDF - 97KB] Am J Prev Med 2005:28(5S);231-7.

Review completed: October 2001