Florida SHOTS™: Keeping SHOTS in Check

For a recent newsletter, Florida SHOTS conducted a feature interview with Doreen Levin, Chief Information Officer with Pediatric Associates in Lauderdale Lakes, to discuss the registry. Here is an excerpt from that interview:

What do you think is the best feature of the registry for your office?

For us, being able to print immunization records is a huge benefit. In addition, we have been able to improve our daily workflow so that each night the immunizations for the day are electronically uploaded from our system to Florida SHOTS.  If a new patient comes in who came from another state or a provider not using Florida SHOTS, then we enter the information manually into Florida SHOTS to have a complete record.

If another doctor’s office were to call and ask you whether they should enroll in the registry, what would you say?

• If a child was given shots at the health department, or at any other Florida SHOTS provider, you have a complete record the first time you see the patient.
• If you have an EMP or are planning to have one, you will need to be able to interface with Florida SHOTS to meet the “Meaningful Use” requirement.
• Florida SHOTS is an excellent program that allows the seamless exchange of information between providers and patients.

With another school year approaching and stacks of 680 requests, Florida SHOTS is reminding healthcare providers to keep immunization records up-to-date and easily accessible through Florida SHOTS online immunization registry. Florida SHOTS offers a manageable solution to doctor’s offices faced with back-to-school 680 requests as it allows registered healthcare providers, schools and childcare centers, and parents quick access to printable and electronically certified DH Form 680s (now accepted on plain paper!).
Florida SHOTS provides the following benefits for physicians:

• Prints a 680 in 27 seconds compared to the 2 ½ minutes required to write a blue form by hand
• Provides a reliable immunization history for any child, whether a new or continuing patient
• Produces the legal immunization record (DH Form 680) required for school, camp and day care center attendance and creates a system-certified electronic copy accessible to schools, childcare centers, and parents
• Identifies patients’ previously reported contraindications
• Provides definitive information on immunizations that are due or overdue
• Reduces paperwork by automating reporting as well as recall and reminder functions

This summer Florida SHOTS asked a private research company to conduct an online survey of all immunization providers, whether they currently use the registry or not.

Sample write-in responses about benefits of using the registry:

• Florida SHOTS saved us many days. We are very thankful for this system that has been put in place. It helps us to be efficient.
• We participated in the H1N1 vaccine and were very impressed with the service received as well as the supplies.
• We are able to see all immunizations that were given from past physicians that participate with Florida SHOTS.
• Florida SHOTS is the best immunization program available. It is more reliable than medical records, has many advantages for the nursing team, and takes the guesswork out of giving and managing vaccines.

Our data exchange technology is a joint effort between Florida SHOTS and the participating data upload providers that make our seamless software integration and vital data communication possible.

Benefits Across the Board

Saves health-care providers staff time. With a data link to Florida SHOTS, existing software can be seamlessly linked to the registry, allowing health-care providers to instantly upload, access, and track immunization records—regardless of when or where they were originally entered.

Participation is easy for software providers. We work one-on-one with providers to ensure the link development is fast and easy. Our CDC-approved data upload functionality is HL7-compliant, works with delimited files, and follows a standard protocol that can be replicated nationwide.

Makes managing HEDIS data simple. Data exchange offers a quick, easy way for managed care organizations (MCOs) to determine immunization coverage levels within participating providers practices.

Florida SHOTS is making immunization tracking simpler than ever before. Now electronically certified 680s can be printed on white paper just like any other document.

And when you electronically certify these records, parents, schools and daycares can access them directly, saving your office even more time.

Benefits of Using Electronically Certified 680s

• Reminder: The doctor’s office creating the form must electronically sign the 680 form in order for it to be accessible for school, daycares and other medical providers.
• Once created, the electronic signature 680 is kept in Florida SHOTS™. It contains all of the regular shot record information as well as certifying office information.
• It’s easy to reprint a certified form if parents need an additional copy.
• Certified forms will be accessible directly to schools and other medical providers that are Florida SHOTS™ participants.
• Florida SHOTS™ participants can search for certified electronic signature 680 forms.
• You can search for all forms certified by your organization in a specific time.

Enroll today and enjoy the freedom of electronically certified 680s.