Programs & Tools:
VFC: Definitions of Site Visits
Vaccines for Children Program Topics:
- Appropriate vaccine handling, storage and ordering procedures. This includes a physical inspection of refrigeration units, temperature measuring devices, daily temperature recording, vaccine accountability, procedures for vaccine retrieval and storage in times of emergencies, and inventory management, including stock rotation to prevent outdating.
- Proper documentation of children's VFC eligibility status. This involves sampling patient records to ensure appropriate screening (e.g., those on Medicaid, uninsured, Alaskan Native/American Indian, or underinsured), and the administration of VFC purchased vaccines only to VFC-eligibles.
- Compliance with documentation and record retention requirements. This includes distribution of current Vaccine Information Statements and maintaining records in accordance with the National Childhood Vaccine Injury Act.
- Compliance with other program requirements. This includes not charging for the cost of the vaccine, not charging a vaccine administration fee that is higher than the maximum fee established by the state, and agreeing not to deny vaccinations because of the parent's inability to pay a vaccine administration fee.
- Measurement of immunization coverage levels and provider practices by abstracting and analyzing patient record information (may be done manually or electronically).
- Feedback of performance data to clinicians and office staff to make them aware of their immunization practices.
- Guidance to help staff diagnose service delivery problems and adopt interventions for improvement. This may include providing information and educational materials about current ACIP recommendations, valid contraindications, record keeping, patient flow sheets, and reminder/recall systems.
Note: These components of an AFIX visit may occur on different days or require separate trips to the provider/clinic; however they still represent one AFIX visit, and should be counted as such.
A VFC/AFIX Combined site visit is defined as a visit to a VFC-Enrolled provider site, which integrates the review to ensure compliance with VFC program requirements and immunization record assessment and feedback activities.
An Educational Visit is defined as a special visit to the provider's office to perform an educational in-service (e.g. to discuss recent changes to the immunization schedule, etc.). An 'Educational' visit should be considered different from the Feedback session that is conducted after an assessment visit.
A Follow-up AFIX visit is defined as a repeat assessment visit. If a provider had received an assessment visit between January 1, 2000 and the CY2002 assessment visit, then the CY2002 assessment visit would be considered a 'Follow-up AFIX' visit. (A coverage level assessment would be performed for a new cohort.)
Example: Dr. Jones is a VFC-enrolled private physician who received an AFIX visit on 5/15/2002. Dr. Jones had previously received an AFIX visit on 9/22/2000. Dr. Jones' AFIX visit on 5/15/2002 would be considered a 'Private VFC Enrolled-AFIX Only' visit as well as a 'Private VFC Enrolled-Follow-up AFIX' visit.
A Follow-up VFC visit is defined as a visit to a provider to review progress towards correcting a problem identified during a previous VFC Site Visit.
Return to VFC State/Territory Immunization Projects main page
Content last reviewed on January 27, 2004
Content Source: National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases
