Increasing influenza and pneumonia vaccination rates in long-term care
- Collection:
- Health Policy and Services Research
- Series Title(s):
- Pennsylvania patient safety advisory
- Contributor(s):
- Pennsylvania. Patient Safety Authority. Institute for Safe Medication Practices. ECRI (Organization)
- Publication:
- [Harrisburg, Pa.] : Pennsylvania Patient Safety Authority, c2009
- Language(s):
- English
- Format:
- Text
- Subject(s):
- Disease Outbreaks -- prevention & control Immunization Programs -- utilization Influenza Vaccines -- administration & dosage Influenza, Human -- prevention & control Long-Term Care Pneumococcal Infections -- prevention & control Pneumococcal Vaccines -- administration & dosage Pneumonia, Pneumococcal -- prevention & control Vaccination -- utilization Adult Aged Frail Elderly Health Knowledge, Attitudes, Practice Health Personnel -- psychology Influenza, Human -- mortality Outcome Assessment (Health Care) Patient Acceptance of Health Care Pneumococcal Infections -- mortality Program Development Program Evaluation Risk Management Humans United States
- Genre(s):
- Technical Report
- Abstract:
- Influenza and pneumonia remain significant causes of mortality from vaccine-preventable diseases, with 90% of these deaths occurring in adults age 65 or older, including those residing in long-term care (LTC) facilities. Improving the delivery of currently available vaccines decreases the exacerbation of underlying disease and should be a priority to prevent hospitalizations and deaths in this population. The Advisory Committee for Immunization Practices provides annual age-defined recommendations for adult immunization for influenza and pneumococcal pneumonia, yet a recent National Center for Health Statistics report shows that, on average, only 42% to 66% of LTC residents received these vaccinations. Healthcare workers self-report a low 45% acceptance of influenza immunizations, and unvaccinated healthcare workers risk spreading influenza to the vulnerable institutionalized elderly. Barriers to success can be overcome by the application of systems interventions, such as standing orders, approved since 2003 by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, as well as provider reminders and a standardized process and outcome measure protocol. This article explores risk reduction methods to enable LTC facilities to assess current program strengths and weaknesses, to increase vaccine availability and acceptance, to overcome decisional conflict, and to select new strategies to improve the effectiveness of vaccination programs.
- Copyright:
- Reproduced with permission of the copyright holder. Further use of the material is subject to CC BY-NC-DC license. (More information)
- Illustrations:
- Illustrations
- NLM Unique ID:
- 101561943 (See catalog record)
- Permanent Link:
- http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/101561943