Reminder/Recall Template Letter for Healthcare Providers and Clinics
The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers program (IQIP) and Vax Northwest, an initiative of WithinReach, have collaborated to distribute a resource, the Reminder/Recall Letter Template, which has been translated into 11 languages for Washington state healthcare providers’ and clinics’ use. Our hope is the template will be useful in reminder/recall practices for both immunization appointments and well child visits. Research shows that reminder/recall methods work to improve immunization rates and well child visit appointments while reducing no shows. (1,2,3)
Vax Northwest and DOH hope this template will be a tool to help clinics and organization keep patients up to date with recommended vaccines, increase immunization rates, and improve the health of our community. Learn more about and download the template letter below.
How to Use Template Letter
- Customize the template in Microsoft Word with your clinic/organization’s logo and then save it for your records.
- From there choose (a) how you would like to send the letter (email, mail, text, etc.) and (b) the method by which you would like to add individual patient information.
- One example is after running the Reminder/Recall permission in WA IIS select the “print labels” output to produce Avery 5160 mailing labels.
- Once printed, labels can be manually placed on the customized letter ready for postage.
When to Use Template Letter
- A reminder for patients aged 12-17 years old who are overdue for their 2nd HPV dose.
- A reminder for patients aged 18-24 months who are overdue for their 4th DTaP dose.
- As an outreach to patients ages 4 years, 9-11 years, and 16 years who have not had a well child visit in past 12 months. See the CDC’s Child and Adolescent Immunization Schedule by Age for reference.
Additional Resources
- Immunization Quality Improvement for Providers (IQIP) and other Immunization Information System (IIS) Resources
- References for Research
- Jacobson Vann JC, Jacobson RM, Coyne-Beasley T, Asafu-Adjei JK, Szilagyi PG. Patient reminder and recall interventions to improve immunization rates. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2018 Jan 18;1(1):CD003941. doi: 10.1002/14651858.CD003941.pub3. PMID: 29342498; PMCID: PMC6491344
- MacDonald SE, Marfo E, Sell H, Assi A, Frank-Wilson A, Atkinson K, Kellner JD, McNeil D, Klein K, Svenson LW. Text Message Reminders to Improve Immunization Appointment Attendance in Alberta, Canada: The Childhood Immunization Reminder Project Pilot Study. JMIR Mhealth Uhealth. 2022 Nov 8;10(11): e37579. doi: 10.2196/37579. PMID: 36346666; PMCID: PMC9682453.
- Jong KM, Sikora CA, MacDonald SE. Childhood immunization appointment reminders and recalls strengths, weaknesses, and opportunities to increase vaccine coverage. Public Health. 2021 May; 194:170-175. doi: 10.1016/j.puhe.2021.02.034. Epub 2021 May 2. PMID: 33951552.
