Donald R. Troyer, MD, says his practice, Family Medicine of South Bend, began offering Moderna’s COVID-19 vaccine partly because patients feel more confident being vaccinated in a familiar setting – something that research confirms. Now, to increase COVID-19 vaccine uptake and encourage more physicians to order vaccines directly, the Indiana Department of Health (IDOH) has created a Provider Playbook and Toolkit to explain and simplify the process.
More than 2.3 million Hoosiers had been fully vaccinated as of May 19, according to IDOH. While about 40% of Indiana residents had received at least one shot, a large proportion remained unvaccinated – in many cases, because they have lingering questions about the vaccines’ trustworthiness, potential side effects and other concerns.
“Patients want unbiased facts about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines,” said ISMA Executive Vice President Julie Reed, JD. “Research has shown that a patient’s own doctor is the most trusted source of information about the coronavirus and whether or not to get a COVID-19 vaccine.”
Dr. Troyer considers offering in-office COVID vaccinations a necessary service. Besides making patients more comfortable receiving the vaccine, “we feel it provides another accessible option,” he said. “We provide individual care to our patients, and this is another offering meeting that mission.”
IDOH has developed a process for primary care providers in Indiana to order vaccine directly for in-office administration. This “playbook” will guide interested participants through the process of becoming an enrolled provider, ordering vaccine, receiving and storing vaccine and administering vaccine to their patients.
Download the IDOH Point of Care Vaccine Provider Playbook to begin the process.
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 IDOH Provider Toolkit
The following resources provided by IDOH for physicians giving COVID-19 vaccinations in their offices can be found at www.ourshot.in.gov under Vaccine Provider Resources.
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