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NOVEMBER 1999
Immunization registry news from All Kids Count.
Issue Number 8 November 1999
Welcome to SnapShots, All Kids Count's newsletter about the progress, best practices and accomplishments of immunization registries across the country. We invite you to share news
about your registry. Email us: SnapShots@allkidscount.org or call us at (404) 687-5615 with information about a successful programmatic or technical innovation, major accomplishment or milestone that
your registry has reached. SnapShots is sent to subscribers monthly by All Kids Count. Current and past issues also are available on the All Kids Count Website:
www.allkidscount.org
HEADLINES
New All Kids Count Policy Brief Highlights Registry Benefits, Need for Sustained Funding
Survey: Majority of Parents Believe Immunization Registries Beneficial
APHA Resolution Supports Immunization Programs and Registries
HIPAA Regulations: Who's Covered, What They Mean
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New All Kids Count Policy Brief Highlights Registry Benefits, Need for Sustained Funding.
As registries mature,
it is increasingly important that attention be focused on the benefits that they provide and the need to find a source of sustained financial support. All Kids Count has developed an informative Policy Brief,
Sustaining Financial Support for Immunization Registries, that reviews the success story of immunizations in this country, challenges to sustaining that success, and the role that registries play in maintaining high
immunization rates. It traces the development of registries, reports their current status, and lists the benefits to parents, providers, plans and purchasers, communities, and public health officials. It also
explains how immunization registries can enhance vaccine safety and how they address issues of privacy, confidentiality, and security. Significantly, it notes that a nationwide system of fully operational registries
would save almost $30 million a year.
A patchwork of unpredictable funding sources, including federal and state agencies, private foundations and managed care, now pays for registries. But, the
Policy Brief concludes, a stable source of funding is needed if we are to realize the full complement of health and safety benefits and the time and cost savings that registries can generate.
The 16-page Policy Brief or a four-page Executive Summary is available by e-mailing
info@allkidscount.org or by calling Kazuko Golden at 404-687-5615.
Multiple copies may be ordered. We encourage registry projects to use this important and informative document in discussions with present and potential partners, coalitions, policymakers, and provider organizations;
at meetings and conferences; or as an informative piece to send to stakeholders.
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Survey: Majority of Parents Believe Immunization Registries Beneficial
A new survey of 432 parents with children under age 6
has confirmed what earlier focus groups indicated: When parents understand the benefits of a registry, they are likely to enter their child into a registry, if their doctor recommends it. The random telephone survey
was conducted by a national research firm on behalf of All Kids Count. Seventy-nine percent of parents said "yes" they would enroll their child in a registry, while 15% said they would not and 5% were
undecided. Those that said they would not want their child enrolled in a registry said they had concerns about the security or privacy of the registry (37%), felt they did not need it (33%), or felt that they could
keep their own records (33%). Older and more educated parents tend to be more skeptical of the benefits of registries. Women were more likely than men to believe that registries have a beneficial value for their
children. African-Americans were more likely than Caucasian respondents to enroll their child in a registry if their doctor recommended it. For a complete summary of the survey, contact
info@allkidscount.org. The
survey also will be available soon on the All Kids Count web site,
www.allkidscount.org.
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APHA Resolution Supports Immunization Programs and Registries
The Governing Council of the American Public Health
Association (APHA) at its November meeting adopted a resolution that affirms the importance of immunizations and urges federal support for immunization programs, immunization registries, and other immunization
activities. Specifically, the resolution urges Congress to restore funding of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's immunization program to at least the level of the 1996 appropriation. It also urges CDC
and the Department of Health and Human Services to develop, and Congress to approve, a legislative proposal for a five-year grant program to support development and implementation of immunization registries, as
called for in the report of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee
(NVAC). The complete text of the resolution is on the All Kids Count Web site,
www.allkidscount.org. Click on "What's New."
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Registry Conference Abstract Deadline Fast Approaching
The deadline for abstracts for the Immunization Registry Conference to be
held March 27-29, 2000, in Newport, Rhode Island is December 3. This year's conference, presented by the National Immunization Program (NIP) and co-sponsored by All Kids Count and the Rhode Island Department of
Health, will bring together public and private sector health care partners to share knowledge and experiences regarding the development and utilization of immunization registries. A conference overview, registration
form, and abstract submission form are available at
www.cdc.gov/nip/registry/2000conf.htm
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HIPAA Regulations: Who's Covered, What They Mean
The Clinton Administration issued its draft regulations on privacy of
individually identifiable health information on October 29, as required by the 1996 Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act
(HIPAA). The draft rules apply to health care providers, health plans, and
insurance claims clearinghouses that transmit individually identifiable health information in electronic form. Therefore, other health-related entities, including public health officials, are not directly covered.
The Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services
(DHHS), author of the regulations, was legally prohibited from covering additional entities or paper records under
HIPAA. However, the Health Privacy
Project at Georgetown University's Institute for Health Care Research and Policy points out that there is still a significant role for Congress to play in filling these gaps. Congress has the authority to pass a
comprehensive federal law, which would override the regulations, at any time it chooses. The full draft regulations and a link to making comments on the regulations can be found on-line at
http://aspe.hhs.gov/admnsimp. The Health Privacy Project's interpretation of the regulations can be found online at
www.healthprivacy.org. (Click on "The Latest.") Registries are encouraged to comment to
DHHS on the regulations by January 3, 2000; a link for to comments can be found on the DHHS site noted above.
All Kids Count is a national network of demonstration projects working to develop and implement
community-based immunization registries for infants and toddlers. Collectively, All Kids Count projects represent the country's most advanced base of experience with immunization registries. All Kids Count is
supported by The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation with direction and technical assistance from The Task Force for Child Survival and Development.
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COMMENTS, PROBLEMS OR QUESTIONS, please contact us at:
All Kids Count
750 Commerce Drive, Ste. 400
Decatur, GA 30030
Voice: 404-687-5615
FAX: 404-371-0415
Web:
http://www.allkidscount.org
E-mail: snapshots@allkidscount.org
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