Targeted Vaccinations: Client Reminder & Recall Systems
Client reminder systems provide information or advice directly to individual clients to inform or encourage them to obtain an appropriate vaccination. Examples of client reminders include letters or postcards sent from a provider office, healthcare system, or insurance carrier.
Summary of Task Force Recommendations & Findings
The Community Preventive Services Task Force finds insufficient evidence to determine the effectiveness of using client reminder systems when implemented alone in improving influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, or hepatitis B vaccination coverage among high-risk adults because only one study qualified for review.
About the Intervention
In this review, client reminders were categorized as interventions that identified and notified clients at high risk and included a vaccination recommendation developed for the client by his or her healthcare provider or system.
Results from the Systematic Reviews
One study qualified for review.
- In this study, clients identified as being at high risk for influenza received a postcard with a personal message signed by their physician.
- Self-reported vaccination for influenza improved by 3.7 percentage points compared with clients who did not receive a postcard reminder.
These results were based on a systematic review of all available studies, conducted on behalf of the Task Force by a team of specialists in systematic review methods, and in research, practice, and policy related to vaccinations to prevent diseases.
Economic Review
An economic review of this intervention was not conducted because the Task Force found insufficient evidence to determine its effectiveness.
Supporting Materials
- Analytic framework
[PDF - 728KB] - see Figure 1 on page 251 - Summary evidence table [PDF - 15MB] - See Appendix B on pages 127-134
Publications
CDC. Improving influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, and hepatitis B vaccination coverage among adults aged <65 years at high risk: a report on recommendations of the Task Force on Community Preventive Services. MMWR 2005;54(No. RR-5):1-12. 
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.
Ndiaye SM, Hopkins DP, Smith SJ, et al. Methods for conducting systematic reviews of targeted vaccination strategies for The Guide to Community Preventive Services. [PDF - 132KB] Am J Prev Med 2005:28(5S);238-47.
Ndiaye SM, Hopkins DP, Shefer AM, et al. Interventions to improve influenza, pneumococcal polysaccharide, and hepatitis B vaccination coverage among high-risk adults: a systematic review. [PDF - 728KB] Am J Prev Med 2005:28(5S);248-79.
Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Vaccine preventable diseases. [PDF - 97KB] In : Zaza S, Briss PA, Harris KW, eds. The Guide to Community Preventive Services: What Works to Promote Health? Atlanta (GA): Oxford University Press;2005:223-303.
More Community Guide publications about Vaccinations to Prevent Diseases
Disclaimer
The findings and conclusions on this page are those of the Community Preventive Services Task Force and do not necessarily represent those of CDC.
Sample Citation
The content of publications of the Guide to Community Preventive Services is in the public domain. Citation as to source, however, is appreciated. Sample citation: Guide to Community Preventive Services. Targeted vaccinations: client reminder & recall systems. www.thecommunityguide.org/vaccines/targeted/clientreminders.html. Last updated: MM/DD/YYYY.
Review completed: June 2002
- Page last reviewed: February 9, 2011
- Page last updated: January 14, 2012
- Content source: The Guide to Community Preventive Services
