When it comes to processing forms, simple, easy and fast is better! In 2010, the Oregon Immunization Program (OIP) took the annual recertification process for clinics enrolled in the Vaccines for Children (VFC) program online. In previous years recertification had been a paper process conducted through mail. But this method was difficult and time-consuming, so OIP purchased an electronic enrollment system with the aim of streamlining and standardizing the re-enrollment procedure. Providers now re-enroll clinics at a website online.
“It’s much easier,” says Anona Gund, OIP health educator. “Health educators aren’t running around crazy now trying to get information from clinics.”The website is inactive until the recertification period. This fall, providers will first receive a memo about a month ahead of time reminding them to recertify, then a second memo informing them the day before the site is active. After two weeks, clinics that do not recertify are dropped from the program. They are deactivated and cannot order vaccine from VFC until they recertify online.
The electronic system ensures enrollment forms are 100 percent complete before submission, a feature that helps drastically reduce the amount of time and energy spent on recertification. For example, after starting the online process, OIP saw a 90 percent decrease in the amount of follow-up paperwork. Providers simply submit their completed forms online, so the electronic system also decreases the amount of time OIP health educators spent hand-entering information, making the process less work-intensive. Previously, staff hand-entered clinics’ data into the computer and proofed all entries, which took an estimated 259.75 hours. But with the new process, the Oregon Information System (OIS) simply downloads data from the web server, and then staff cleans and loads data into the system. Only an estimated 23.5 hours are required for data cleaning and import.
The switch to online recertification caused 92 percent decrease in processing time. In 2009, with the paper procedure still in use, it took 25 weeks (about 6 months) to recertify 87 percent of providers. But in 2010, with the new online system, it took only two weeks to recertify the same number of providers. The number of providers who recertified increased by 8.4 percent as well. Ninety-one percent of providers also reported a higher satisfaction rate and thought that the new online process was easier to complete than the old paper method.
Oregon ImmiNews 
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