Increasing the Rate of Influenza Vaccination in Children With Asthma Using a Clinic Staff and Provider Educational Intervention

Objective. The purpose of this quality improvement study was to evaluate how the use of an educational intervention aimed at staff and providers at a pediatric primary care clinic compared with no intervention would affect influenza vaccination rates over a 3-month period during the prime vaccination season. Methods. A retrospective-descriptive design was used. Billing records were evaluated for an asthma-related diagnosis and for receipt of an influenza vaccine from September 10 through December 10 in 2011 and 2012. Results. In 2011, 1814 pediatric patients visited the clinic, and 6% (n = 109) had a billable asthma-related diagnosis. In 2012, 1723 pediatric patients visited the clinic, with 5% (n = 92) with asthma. In 2011, 69% (n = 75) of children with asthma received an influenza vaccine, and 56 (75%) received the vaccine at a shot-only flu clinic. In 2012, 70% (n = 64) of children with asthma were vaccinated, 41 (64%) at a shot-only flu clinic. In 2011, 43 (44%) children with asthma presented to the clinic for an illness-related visit, and 9 (21%) were vaccinated. In 2012, 48 (52%) children with asthma presented for an illness-related visit, and 20 (42%) received a vaccine. The change in proportion of children with asthma vaccinated at an illness-related visit did not reach statistical significance ( P = .058). In 2011, 50% (n = 912) of the total clinic population received an influenza vaccine. In 2012, 57% (n = 981) received an influenza vaccine. The difference in the proportion of the total clinic population vaccinated was found to be statistically significant ( P < .001). Conclusions. Despite staff education, there were no statistically significant differences in influenza vaccination rates in children with asthma. Perhaps a multi-interventional approach would be more effective in increasing the vaccination rates in this high-risk group.