Increasing influenza immunization for long-term care facility staff using quality improvement

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Quality Improvement
• Infectious Disease Prevention
• Occupational Health

Background:

• Influenza outbreaks pose a significant risk in long-term care facilities (LTCFs).
• Low staff immunization rates contribute to the vulnerability of LTCF residents and staff.
• Improving staff vaccination is crucial for mitigating influenza transmission within these settings.

Purpose of the Study:

• To enhance staff influenza immunization rates within long-term care facilities (LTCFs).
• To identify effective strategies for increasing vaccination coverage among healthcare personnel.
• To reduce the incidence of influenza outbreaks in LTCFs through improved staff vaccination.

Main Methods:

• A quality improvement project was implemented in LTCFs.
• The project involved staff members across facilities of varying sizes (50–2,000 beds).
• Key interventions included education, encouragement, financial incentives, competitions, and consent management.

Main Results:

• 11 out of 13 participating nursing homes showed improved staff influenza immunization rates.
• Nine facilities exceeded a 10% improvement, and six reached over 55% immunization.
• Financial incentives of $150 per staff member rapidly accelerated immunization rates.

Conclusions:

• Quality improvement projects are effective in increasing staff influenza immunization rates in LTCFs.
• A combination of strategies, including financial incentives, is vital for success.
• The project yielded a change package to guide other LTCFs in improving their immunization programs.