Qualitative study of clinic staff members' experiences using an immunization registry

Objectives: To examine individual clinic staff members' experiences with us ing an immunization registry and to compare staff members' perceptions of i mmunization registries across different provider sites. Design: Cross-sectional survey using in-depth interviews and direct observa tion. Settings: The pediatric department of an urban community health center and 2 urban hospital-based pediatric primary care clinics. Participants: Twenty-five subjects were recruited using maximum variation s ampling at each site. The subjects included clerks, clinic assistants, lice nsed practical nurses, a nurse practitioner, and registered nurses. Main Outcome Measures: Clinic staff members' per- ceptions of an immunizati on registry and frequency of registry use. Results: Differences were observed in subjects' perceptions of an immunizat ion registry across provider sites. Although most subjects had positive att itudes toward the registry, they did not necessarily believe that the regis try decreased their workload. The ability to access immunization registry d ata and actual use of the registry seem to be related to training of clinic personnel, location of the registry terminal, and helpfulness and availabi lity of registry staff. Conclusion: Obtaining the opinions of immunization registry users is an imp ortant strategy to evaluate the usefulness of a registry in a site and targ et possible areas for improvement.