Implementing Effective Care in a University Population Based on National Vaccination Recommendations

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Quality Improvement
• Vaccinology

Background:

• Adult vaccination coverage remains suboptimal, contributing to preventable morbidity and mortality.
• University students often lack adequate vaccination information and status.
• Low vaccination rates result in significant, avoidable healthcare costs.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and evaluate a quality improvement strategy to increase vaccine uptake among university adult students.
• To enhance effective care for adult vaccinations by 30% within 90 days.
• To assess the impact of interventions on vaccine screening, decision-making, and provider adherence.

Main Methods:

• Utilized Plan-Do-Study-Act (PDSA) cycles for iterative testing and refinement of interventions.
• Implemented core strategies including enhanced screening, vaccine shared decision-making, provider checklists, and team engagement.
• Monitored contextual elements, team/patient feedback, and aggregate data to inform changes.

Main Results:

• Initial chart review showed 95% of students were not up-to-date with vaccines; a later review found over 83% unvaccinated.
• An 8-week intervention period achieved a 95.3% accuracy rate in referring students for eligible vaccines.
• The composite 'aim score' for interventions increased from 49% to 95%, with effective care for vaccine uptake rising by 83.8%.

Conclusions:

• A multi-faceted quality improvement strategy significantly boosted vaccine uptake in university students.
• Interventions like enhanced screening and shared decision-making are effective in improving adult vaccination rates.
• This approach offers a scalable model for primary care settings to enhance vaccination coverage and reduce healthcare costs.