Improving Birth Dose Hepatitis B Vaccination Rates: A Quality Improvement Intervention

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Immunization Practices
• Pediatrics

Background:

• Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection poses a significant public health concern in the US, with thousands of new cases annually.
• National guidelines recommend timely hepatitis B (HepB) vaccine administration for newborns.
• The study aimed to improve HepB vaccination rates in newborns before hospital discharge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To increase institutional hepatitis B (HepB) vaccination rates for newborns from a baseline of 52% to over 85% before hospital discharge.
• To enhance the timely administration of the HepB vaccine birth dose.
• To implement a sustainable quality improvement initiative for newborn vaccination.

Main Methods:

• A multidisciplinary quality improvement project was implemented in February 2017.
• Key interventions included standardizing vaccine offering processes, parent education, and healthcare provider training.
• Statistical process control P-charts were used to analyze vaccination rates.

Main Results:

• The study included 21,108 newborns between July 2015 and April 2019.
• HepB vaccination rates at hospital discharge increased from a baseline of 52.4% to 72.5%.
• Rates of HepB vaccination within 12 hours of life improved from 21.5% to 42.5%.

Conclusions:

• Multidisciplinary collaboration and targeted interventions significantly improved HepB vaccination rates.
• Provider and staff education on HBV risks, vaccine benefits, and communication strategies were crucial.
• Further efforts are recommended to achieve HepB vaccination within 12 hours of birth.