Recording errors in homemade home-based records to record vaccination services: results from the 2016 Kenya Missed Opportunities for Vaccination Assessment

Homemade home-based records (HBRs) are often

used to replace official HBRs during stock-outs. By their nature,

homemade HBRs are often ad hoc in form and lack structure which may

lead to immunization service delivery recording errors. We reviewed

electronic photographic images of HBRs presented by caregivers

attending primary care clinics with children aged <24 months.

Lacking structure observed in homemade HBRs may compromise recorded

data integrity and ultimately may impact a health worker’s decision

making and ability to counsel caregivers about which vaccines and

doses her child has received and which remained outstanding.

Whenever possible, use of photocopies of the official HBR is

preferred to homemade HBRs.