According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Vaccines prevent an estimated 2.5 million deaths among children younger than age five every year. Still, one child dies every 20 seconds from a disease that could have been prevented by a vaccine.” Many of these, unnecessary deaths, are due to a lack of information on, or access to, the immunizations that keep children healthy.
Closing Care Gaps
Ensuring your patients are current on their immunizations is essential in keeping them safe from childhood diseases. The COVID-19 pandemic continues to disrupt routine childhood immunizations and well-child visits, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The CDC recommends that doctors and health care professionals encourage families to schedule vaccines and visits to help children catch up.
Childhood Immunizations Status (CIS) is vital to the Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set (HEDIS®) Annual Audit. See the National Committee for Quality Assurance (NCQA) website for additional information. The following is a guide to information and components of that measure required for a successful audit.
The percentage of children 2 years of age who had the following vaccines on or before their 2nd birthday:
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Common deficits of this measure are:
- Immunizations given after the 2nd birthday (even one day after cannot be included).
- If a combination RV1 and RV5 is used, three doses must be administered instead of two.
- Only one flu vaccine given instead of the required two before the 2nd birthday.
As health care providers, you are aware of many parents’ misconceptions about the safety and efficacy of immunizations. Having professional resources available for parents and taking a few minutes to educate them can positively influence vaccination decisions.
In conclusion, thank you for your partnership in the care and continued education of patients and their family disease preventions.
Reference and review the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas (BCBSTX) Preventive Care Guidelines (PCGs), Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs), and Texas Health Steps THSteps for Medical Providers, which includes all current vaccine schedules, ImmTrac2 and other important guidance for treating your patients.
The above material is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for the independent medical judgment of a physician or other health care provider. Physicians and other health care providers are encouraged to use their own medical judgment based upon all available information and the condition of the patient in determining the appropriate course of treatment. The fact that a service or treatment is described in this material is not a guarantee that the service or treatment is a covered benefit and members should refer to their certificate of coverage for more details, including benefits, limitations and exclusions. Regardless of benefits, the final decision about any service or treatment is between the member and their health care provider.
HEDIS is a registered trademark of NCQA. Use of this resource is subject to NCQA’s copyright, found here. The NCQA HEDIS measure specification has been adjusted pursuant to NCQA’s Rules for Allowable Adjustments of HEDIS. The adjusted measure specification may be used only for internal quality improvement purposes.