Increasing vaccination rates among health care workers using unit "champions" as a motivator

Key members (a.k.a. "champions") within specific work units were provided with a brief training session designed to increase awareness of the benefits associated with influenza vaccination. The champions were responsible for encouraging members of their work units to accept an influenza vaccination and in some cases had the requisite training to administer the vaccination on site. Work units were randomly assigned to either champion present or champion absent conditions. Results show increased vaccination compliance for groups where a champion was present (N = 23). An independent sample t-test revealed a significant difference between the two groups t = 2.30, p < .03 which resulted in a percentage change from 41% in the unchampioned group to 52% in the championed group. Analyses which included only those units that had a fully trained champion (N = 13) produced a similar percentage increase in vaccine uptake from 41% to 54% (although this did not reach statistical significance; p = .08). Overall, the presence of a unit champion did produce a clinically relevant increase in vaccination rates in championed work units. This result has implications for future vaccination campaigns in hospital settings. Future research targeting the barriers and drivers of influenza vaccination among HCWs is recommended.