Internet-based developmental screening: a digital divide between English- and Spanish-speaking parents.

BACKGROUND: Internet-based developmental screening is being implemented in pediatric practices across the United States. Little is known about the application of this technology in poor urban populations. OBJECTIVE: We describe here the results of focus groups, surveys, and in-depth interviews during home visits with families served by an urban safety-net organization to address the question of whether it is possible to use Internet or e-mail communication for medical previsit engagement in a population that is majority Hispanic, of low socioeconomic status, and has many non-English-speaking families. METHODS: This study included families in 4 clinics within a safety-net health care system. The study design included the use of (1) parental surveys (n = 200) of a convenience sample of parents whose children received primary care in the clinics, (2) focus groups (n = 7 groups) with parents, and (3) in-depth interviews during home visits with 4 families. We used χ(2) and multivariate analyses to compare Internet access in English- and Spanish-speaking families. Standard qualitative methods were used to code focus-group texts and identify convergent themes. RESULTS: In multivariate analysis, independent factors associated with computer use were English versus Spanish language (odds ratio: 3.2 [95% confidence interval: 1.4-6.9]) and education through at least high school (odds ratio: 4.7 [95% confidence interval: 2.3-9.7]). In focus groups, the concept of parental previsit work, such as developmental screening tests, was viewed favorably by all groups. However, many parents expressed reservations about doing this work by using the Internet or e-mail and stated a preference for either paper or telephone options. Many Spanish-speaking families discussed lack of access to computers and printers. CONCLUSIONS: In this economically disadvantaged population, language and maternal education were associated with access to the Internet. Given the potential power of previsit work to tailor well-child visits to the needs of individual families, alternative strategies to using the Internet should be explored for populations without reliable Internet access.

A stepped intervention increases well-child care and immunization rates in a disadvantaged population.

OBJECTIVE: To test a stepped intervention of reminder/recall/case management to increase infant well-child visits and immunization rates. METHODS: We conducted a randomized, controlled, practical, clinical trial with 811 infants born in an urban safety-net hospital and followed through 15 months of life. Step 1 (all infants) involved language-appropriate reminder postcards for every well-child visit. Step 2 (infants who missed an appointment or immunization) involved telephone reminders plus postcard and telephone recall. Step 3 (infants still behind on preventive care after steps 1 and 2) involved intensive case management and home visitation. RESULTS: Infants in the intervention arm, compared with control infants, had significantly fewer days without immunization coverage in the first 15 months of life (109 vs 192 days P < .01) and were more likely to have >or=5 well-child visits (65% vs 47% P < .01). In multivariate analyses, infants in the intervention arm were more likely than control infants to be up to date with 12-month immunizations and to have had >or=5 well-child visits. The cost per child was $23.30 per month. CONCLUSION: This stepped intervention of tracking and case management improved infant immunization status and receipt of preventive care in a population of high-risk urban infants of low socioeconomic status.

Improving adult immunization rates in primary care clinics.

The goal of this effort was to improve adult immunization rates within a large urban health care system. To measure improvement efforts, we calculated each month the percentage of adults 65 years and older who leave clinic visits with up-to-date pneumococcal vaccination were calculated. This was accomplished through the development of three key aspects: standing orders, an immunization registry, and an algorithm to recommend vaccinations based on age and past vaccination history, but also on health history and risk factors for specific diseases.

Individually significant risk factors do not provide an accurate clinical prediction rule for infant underimmunization in one disadvantaged urban area.

OBJECTIVE: To define a clinical prediction rule for underimmunization in children of low socioeconomic status. METHODS: We assessed a cohort of 1160 infants born from July 1998 through June 1999 at an urban safety net hospital that received primary care at 4 community health centers. The main outcome measure was up-to-date status with the 3:2:2:2 infant vaccine series at 12 months of age. RESULTS: Latino infants (n = 959, 83% of cohort) had immunization rates of 74%, at least 18% higher than any other racial/ethnic group. Multivariate logistic regression demonstrated the following independent associations (relative risk, 95% confidence interval) for inadequate immunization: non-Latino ethnicity (1.7, 1.4-2.0), maternal smoking (1.3, 1.1-1.7), no health insurance (1.9, 1.4-2.3), late prenatal care (1.9, 1.5-2.3), no pediatric chronic condition (2.1, 1.2-3.1), and no intent to breast-feed (1.3, 1.1-1.6). However, the index of concordance (c-index) for this model was only 0.69. Neither excluding infants who left the health care system nor accounting for infants who were "late starters" for their first vaccines improved the predictive accuracy of the model. CONCLUSIONS: In this predominantly Latino population of low socioeconomic status, Latino infants have higher immunization rates than other infants. However, we were unable to develop a model to reliably predict which infants in this population were underimmunized. Models to predict underimmunization should be tested in other settings. In this population, interventions to improve immunization rates must be targeted at all children without respect to individual risk factors.

Strategies to improve immunization rates and well-child care in a disadvantaged population: a cluster randomized controlled trial.

OBJECTIVE: To measure the effect of a multimodal intervention on well-child care visit (WCV) and immunization rates in an inner-city population. DESIGN: Cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: One-year cohort of 2843 infants born at a hospital in an integrated inner-city health care system. INTERVENTIONS: Eleven clinics were randomly allocated to 1 of 3 study arms: WCV intervention (n = 3), immunization intervention (n = 4), and controls (n = 4). Interventions to improve immunization and WCV rates included both patient-based and clinic-based activities. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Up-to-date status with childhood immunizations and WCVs by age 12 months (primary) and health care utilization and charges (secondary). RESULTS: Compared with the control arm, the WCV and immunization arms had 5% to 6% higher immunization rates and 7% to 8% higher WCV rates. In multivariate analyses that accounted for the clustered nature of the data, the number of immunizations received was greater in the WCV arm than in controls. However, neither the WCV nor the immunization intervention increased WCV or immunization up-to-date rates. The WCV arm had slightly higher health care charges. Neither intervention affected emergency, urgent care or inpatient utilization. CONCLUSIONS: This multimodal intervention produced a small increase in the number of childhood immunizations delivered. However, patient- and clinic-based methods did not lead to significant increases in WCV or immunization up-to-date rates after controlling for other factors. Methods found in some settings to increase immunization up-to-date rates may not be as effective in a population of inner-city socioeconomically disadvantaged children.