Pediatric practices are navigating a new and urgent challenge: massive shifts in federal Medicaid and vaccine policy. With the conclusion of continuous enrollment protections, millions of children are at risk of losing Medicaid coverage, while new recommendations for COVID-19, RSV, and flu vaccines require pediatricians to explain the value of vaccination to families more than ever.
The Importance of Vaccine Recall
Missed vaccines and preventive care visits can lead to serious health consequences for children and increase the risk of community outbreaks, such as the 2025 measles outbreak in Texas faced by pediatricians like Dr. Seth Kaplan. With the flu season in full swing and new vaccination guidelines in place, pediatric practices must ensure that patients remain up to date while balancing local and state regulations. Recall initiatives can help practices proactively manage care, maintain high immunization rates, and reduce preventable gaps in coverage.
Practices often face obstacles when reaching families: outdated contact information, missed appointments, and limited staff resources can make outreach difficult. Manual tracking is time-consuming and can lead to inconsistent follow-up. Recognizing these challenges is the first step toward implementing a more efficient system. The rest? The tools and strategies designed to help you boost recall in ways that are effective for your practice.
Strategies for Effective Recall
PCC users can always visit PCC Learn and PCC Community for help in customizing a patient recall solution that best suits your practice, but every practice can benefit from a recall system. Here are some tips that can help you organize your recall efforts and get you started:
- Automated Reminders: PCC tools allow practices to send texts, emails, or Patient Portal notifications, reducing staff workload and increasing response rates.
- Review Lists before Recall: You may wish to do a clean up of your patient lists to ensure that you’re reaching out to the correct patients: flag any that are inactive or otherwise ineligible for recall efforts.
- Segmented Lists: Target specific vaccines or age groups to prioritize outreach for patients at greatest risk.
- Timing and Frequency: Space reminders appropriately to encourage appointments without overwhelming families.
- Leverage the Patient Portal: With PCC’s Self-Scheduling feature, you can empower families to schedule follow-ups, well visits, and sick visits directly through the Patient Portal.
- Staff Workflow: Assign roles for tracking, calling, and managing outreach efficiently.
Maximizing Response and Engagement
- Personalize messages to make communications feel relevant and friendly.
- Offer multiple scheduling options, including walk-ins or extended hours.
- Monitor follow-up success and adjust your recall strategy as needed.
Wondering how to track your success? PCC users can use the Practice Vitals Dashboard to compare their vaccination rates month over month, as well as compare rates with other, similar PCC practices. You can even break down your vaccination rates by the percentage of patients you’re missing out on, giving you a clear goal to work with.
Timely vaccination is critical for children’s health, especially amid shifting policies and seasonal risks. By using PCC’s recall and outreach tools, pediatric practices can streamline communication, close care gaps, and ensure families stay informed and engaged.
Need more help getting started on a patient recall initiative? Check out our worksheets below, which will guide you through creating a process that suits your practice’s workflows and engages with patients.
We also recognize that pediatricians are facing new waves of families experiencing vaccine hesitancy. Check out these previous posts for more information on motivational interviewing, COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, and the experiences of other pediatricians facing the same challenges.
