Case Study: An Immunization Data Collection System for Private Providers - WILLIAM A. YASNOFF

Questions for Review

1. In retrospect, how could the author have been better prepared for his initial meeting with the private providers? What specific steps could he have taken to anticipate provider needs and insure that he presented and refined an acceptable plan at this first meeting?

2. What was the guiding principle behind the author's identification of step 8 as the data collection point in the provider's work process? Why not step 9?

3. Explain why the use of bar codes was a more feasible solution than a telephone voice response system. What were the disadvantages of the latter? Why was the use of peel-off labels important? Why did the solution need to be integrated with the patient chart?

4. Why did the author make sure that private providers who were skeptical of the data collection system were included in the pilot testing? What are the advantages of including these providers?

5. In what way were the calls received by the central registry from providers participating in the pilot testing important to the success of the project? Interviews with providers after the pilot testing? Feedback from marketing representatives? What informatics principle does the handling of these calls, interviews, and conversations illustrate?

6. Explain how the author was able to stay within cost constraints in (a) avoiding the imposition of substantial costs on participants in the data collection system, (b) limiting additional costs to the central registry, and (c) marketing the data collection system and distributing the materials to providers.

7. What budgetary constraints limited fuller effectiveness of the system?

8. To what extent was the solution to the problem of adhesive backing of the note luck, and to what extent does it represent design creativity?