Journal article
Improving Influenza Vaccination Coverage: A Quality Improvement Project in Internal Medicine Clinic
Clinical Infection and Immunity, Vol.9(1), pp.11-15
03/2024
DOI: 10.14740/cii176
Abstract
Background: The influenza vaccine coverage is low despite its proven benefit in improving morbidity and mortality, and costs associated with influenza infection. Primary care clinics provide a convenient and effective space to conduct a discussion related to influenza vaccine. A decrease in the influenza vaccine coverage was noticed during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic along with a decrease in patient visits.
Methods: The quality improvement study was done at a primary care clinic in an underserved area over a 12-week period. Providers were given education in a group setting at the beginning of every alternate week, i.e., 6 weeks duration, and the remaining 6 weeks served as a comparison group. Further, a brief education was given at the beginning of the week, and a simple questionnaire was given before each patient visit. The providers were advised to record their discussion in the electronic medical records.
Results: The intervention led to increased discussion regarding the influenza vaccine between the providers and the patients (¦Ö2 (1, N = 726) = 25.76, P < 0.00001 without Yates correction), but no statistically significant difference was noticed in the proportion of patients accepting the vaccine (¦Ö2 (1, N = 187) = 1.714, P = 0.1905 without Yates correction).
Conclusion: Providers were least likely to offer the vaccine on visits scheduled for a pre-operative evaluation or an acute complain. A simple intervention like providing education to healthcare staff can significantly improve discussions regarding vaccines, and has the potential to improve coverage.
Details
- Title: Subtitle
- Improving Influenza Vaccination Coverage: A Quality Improvement Project in Internal Medicine Clinic
- Creators
- Yasir Ahmed - United Health ServicesVarun Rajagopalan - United Health ServicesPooneh Farhangi - United Health ServicesNadia Debick - United Health ServicesZainab Imtiaz - United Health ServicesDaniel Chin
- Resource Type
- Journal article
- Publication Details
- Clinical Infection and Immunity, Vol.9(1), pp.11-15
- DOI
- 10.14740/cii176
- ISSN
- 2371-4972
- eISSN
- 2371-4980
- Number of pages
- 5
- Language
- English
- Date published
- 03/2024
- Academic Unit
- Internal Medicine; Hospital Medicine
- Record Identifier
- 9984946621802771
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