Florida SHOTS™: Keeping SHOTS in Check

Dr. Anne Schuchat, Director NCIRD, CDC; Sherry Riddick, President AIRA; Mara Ohrt (Alaska); Amy Metroka and Dr. Jane Zucker (NYC); Susan Lincicome, Director Florida SHOTS; and Charles Alexander, Bureau Chief of Florida Bureau of Immunization.

The American Immunization Registry Association (AIRA) awarded Florida SHOTS with the 2009 AIRA Center of Excellence (COE) Award during the opening plenary of the 44th National Immunization Conference (NIC) in April. The criteria for this year’s award centered on data reporting, vaccine management and provider participation in immunization information systems (IIS) during the H1N1 2009 influenza epidemic.

Rising to the Challenge
The Florida Department of Health needed to be able to rapidly order and distribute a projected 15 million doses of H1N1 vaccine to an estimated 8,100 ship-to sites. Florida’s IIS, Florida SHOTS, was identified as the only statewide system with the capability to accomplish real-time allocation and ordering of the H1N1 vaccine. By adapting the Florida SHOTS system, we were able to efficiently and quickly use the registry to accomplish these ordering and distribution tasks.

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The growing complexity of the immunization schedule makes it difficult for health-care providers and parents to keep track of which vaccines are due and when.

Busy practices have found that Florida SHOTS can assist them in the challenges of assessing ever-changing and complex immunization requirements and schedules involving different vaccine manufacturers and combination vaccines.

Florida SHOTS was designed with functionality that provides the following benefits to providers.

• Immunization records from all providers are consolidated into one record per patient.
• Immunization information is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• The registry provides a reliable immunization history for any child, whether a new or continuing patient.
• It identifies patients’ previously reported contraindications.
• The registry provides definitive information, reminders and recalls on immunizations that are due or overdue.
• The registry produces the legal immunization record (DH Form 680) required for school, camp, and day care center attendance.
• It allows providers to create a system-certified electronic 680, which is kept in Florida SHOTS where it is accessible directly to schools, licensed child-care centers and other medical providers that are Florida SHOTS users.
• It generates immunization reports for managed-care organizations.
• The registry reduces paperwork by automating inventory, reporting, recall and reminder functions.
• It provides current recommendations and information on new vaccines.
• The registry facilitates introduction of new vaccines or changes in the vaccine schedule.

Creating an electronically-certified DH680 (bluecard) is simple and fast - two things you need. 

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Do you have everything on your back-to-school checklist?

• DH Form 680s (Blue Cards)
• Patient shot records in Florida SHOTS
• Ability to electronically-certify Form 680s

When you put everything together, you’re all set for a great start for school registrations. Order Form 680s from the Florida Department of Health Distribution Center. Order instructions are on the Florida SHOTS Resources tab. When your patient (or their parents) lets you know that they need a Blue Card, check Florida SHOTS to see if their record is already online. If it’s not, take just a few moments to update the patient’s record. You can then easily generate an electronically-certified Form 680 in SHOTS. This process eliminates the need for handwritten forms and a handwritten signature allowing you to help more patients faster than ever.

Getting parents to deliver a properly documented DH680 Certificate of Immunization (blue card) can be a difficult and time-consuming process for educators. Florida SHOTS provides easy access for educators to get those electronically certified blue cards for their files.

If a student’s doctor uses the Florida SHOTS system to maintain and electronically certify their patients’ immunization records and the education facility has a Florida SHOTS account as well, educators can simply print out the electronically certified 680 form to add to their files. The unique identifier on the blue card is as official as a signature. Keep in mind that other required forms and blue cards that are not electronically certified still require a signature.

Encourage your local health care providers to participate in Florida SHOTS and issue electronically signed/certified DH680 forms.