A randomised, clinical trial comparing the effectiveness of hospital and community-based reminder systems for increasing uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccine in hospitalised patients aged 65 years and over.

Full Abstract

Hospitalisation represents an opportunity to identify unimmunised people at risk for the complications of influenza and pneumococcal disease. We conducted a randomised controlled trial of two strategies to increase uptake of influenza and pneumococcal vaccines in eligible, hospitalised subjects aged 65 years or more, admitted between May and September 1998 to a Melbourne hospital. Unvaccinated participants were allocated randomly to alert systems for hospital staff or community general practitioners (GPs). Follow-up occurred at 1 and 3 months. The baseline vaccination rates were 70% for influenza (426/606) and 41% (248/606) for pneumococcal disease. For unvaccinated subjects, the hospital alert resulted in 67% uptake compared to 55% following a GP alert for pneumococcal vaccine; and 63% in hospital compared to 53% following a GP alert for influenza vaccine. Although there was a trend toward a higher uptake in hospital, neither of these differences was statistically significant. The majority (75%) of vaccinations following a GP alert occurred within 1 month of discharge. Despite hospital and community-based reminder systems, there are still significant missed opportunities for vaccination. We did not demonstrate significant differences between hospital and GP reminder systems, but there was a trend towards higher uptake with opportunistic vaccination in hospital.Copyright 2003 S. Karger AG, Basel

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Author information

Author/s: MacIntyre, C R (CR); Kainer, M A (MA); Brown, G V (GV);

Affiliation: Victorian Infectious Diseases Service, The Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Australia. RainaM@chw.edu.au

Journal and publication information

Publication Type: Clinical Trial; Journal Article; Randomized Controlled Trial; Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

Journal: Gerontology (Gerontology), published in Switzerland. (Language: eng)

Reference: -2003 Jan-Feb; vol 49 (issue 1) : pp 33-40

Dates: Created 2002/11/28; Completed 2003/04/08; Revised 2006/11/15;

PMID: 12457048, status: MEDLINE (last retrieval date: 11/6/2008)

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MeSH headings (categories)

This article was linked to the MESH Headings shown below.

Influenza Vaccines
Inpatients - psychology; statistics & numerical data
Male
Patient Acceptance of Health Care - psychology
Pneumococcal Vaccines
Vaccination

Associated Chemicals: Influenza Vaccines (0) ; Pneumococcal Vaccines (0)

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