Interventions to improve dissemination and implementation of Hepatitis B vaccination in patients with diabetes

The purpose of this study was to assess provider awareness of routine vaccinations recommended for patients with diabetes and to determine whether pharmacist-led interventions are associated with increased provider implementation of recommendations for hepatitis B vaccination.

This study was conducted in 3 phases at 2 outpatient clinics affiliated with an academic institution. In phase 1, adults with diabetes who visited the clinics between January and November 2012 and who were eligible for the hepatitis B vaccine were identified. In phase 2, medical residents were surveyed twice for vaccine recommendations and reasons for (not) recommending the hepatitis B vaccine, specifically. Residents were then provided a pharmacist-led in-service about hepatitis B vaccine recommendations. The third phase was initiated in April 2013, following postintervention observation from December 2012 through March 2013.

Forty-eight of 100 (48%) medical residents attended the in-service and completed both surveys, with 77% indicating they did not recommend the hepatitis B vaccine. During phase 1, 1441 patients were identified, 0.6% (n = 8) of whom had received at least the first dose of the series. In phase 3, 946 patients were identified with 1.7% (n = 16) having received at least the first dose (P = 0.007).

An attempt to disseminate updated recommendations to providers via educational in-service was successful in increasing the percentage of eligible patients vaccinated with the hepatitis B vaccine.