Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Healthcare Personnel Using Three Behavioral Intervention Methods
1. The Situation/Challenge: According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of influenza (flu)-associated deaths in the United States ranges from a low of about 3,000 to a high of about 49,000, annually (CDC, 2010). Vulnerable populations—those with a compromised immune system, elderly, very young children, and critically ill—are especially susceptible to the influenza. (Poland, 2005). Pre-exposure vaccination is the most effective method of preventing influenza and influenza-related morbidity and mortality (Poland, 2005). However, flu vaccination is frequently contra-indicated for the vulnerable
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According to the California Department of Public Health (CDPH), Senate Bill (SB) 739 (Chapter 526, Statutes of 2006) was adopted into law in 2006 to improve influenza vaccination rates among HCP in California acute care hospitals by requiring employees to be offered vaccine free of charge and either receive the vaccine or to sign a declination form if they choose not to be vaccinated (CDPH, 2014). Despite this law, during the 2012-2013 flu season, influenza vaccine coverage rates among hospital employees remained relatively low—74 percent—well below the 90 percent target rate (CDPH, 2014).
3. The 3 theories that will be applied: This document will review three possible behavioral interventions for increasing vaccination rates among HCP using the following theories of motivation: Reinforcement Theory, Goal-Setting Model, and Alderfer’s ERG Theory.
a. Theory/Approach 1: Reinforcement theory will be applied to achieve higher influenza vaccination rates among HCP using rewards and negative consequences based on compliance/non-compliance behavior.
i. Background (key works): Reinforcement theory is rooted in theory of operant conditioning based primarily on the work of the American behavior scientist B.F. Skinner (Borkowski, 2011). In contrast to Ivan Pavlov’ respondent conditioning controlled by
Hi my name is Marah and today I am going to persuade you to get a Flu vaccination. I recently got a job working at Walgreens Pharmacy. Every day that I work I see people coming in to pick up their prescriptions that don’t look like the feel very great, with a tissue in one hand and their money in the other. No one wants to be sick, it’s not fun and it makes you feel like crap and you get absolutely nothing done. So it would only make sense if everyone was taking the precautionary measure in getting a flu shot. People should be lining up to get their vaccinations in order to prevent them from them getting sick and missing school, work or important events; but they aren’t, at Walgreens, we give maybe about 4 flu shots a day,
To get the flu vaccine or not to get the flu vaccine? This is a huge controversial question millions of Americans today ask themselves every year. There are many myths that come along with the topic of the flu vaccine that lead to people questioning the effectiveness of the medication. Safety for our families and loved ones is what we aim to achieve, but what are the pros and cons of this vaccine? What are the consequences and what are myths, but most importantly: what are the reasons we should get it in the first place? In this paper you will learn the many reasons for the flu vaccination and how it affects different populations beginning with children all the way to the elderly population. First of all, what is the flu
Influenza results in excess of two hundred thousand hospitalizations in the United States (Tosh & Jacobson, 2010). Mortality rates for influenza related illness have risen. The purpose of this paper is to discuss mandated healthcare influenza vaccination in healthcare workers and will examine a Cochrane review summary, mandated healthcare influenza vaccination, and healthcare worker immunization practices in a Veterans Affairs Health Center.
If we eliminate these barriers and mandate vaccination, it will help in increasing rate of vaccination (Suillivan, 2010).
According to the CDC, the flu is “a highly contagious viral infection of the respiratory passages causing fever, severe aching, and catarrh, and often occurring in epidemics.” The flu causes a large number of hospitalizations and excess death per year, and there have been continuous debates over in the U.S. over the necessity of flu immunization and the financial burden of providing health services such as the flu vaccine. Every year vaccinations are made available, but are considered optional. However, a study conducted by Quian Gu, and Neraj Sood, observed the association between the dangers of the flu infection and the likelihood of getting immunized. The study concluded that those with socio-economic disadvantages and unhealthy lifestyles were less likely to get immunized, and by collecting scientific data nationally, the study found that flu immunizations were consistent with the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) “High Priority” model of vaccination—those participating in the study who were labeled as a high priority for influenza vaccinations were more likely to receive them than others.
In many ways, vaccinations are among the great success stories of modern medicine. The literature indicates the importance of promoting a culture of annual vaccination on a routine basis to protect patients and healthcare professionals from morbidity and mortality. The data provided can be used to educate healthcare workers and improve the health outcomes of their employees and patients. According to the research, the figures may help administrators of health facilities incorporate policies to raise the proportion of their staff to comply with the influenza immunization (Shahar et al., 2016). Future protocols and intervention programs should be constructed and advertise the success among those who received the vaccination yearly. Compliance
According to Hooper, C. R., Breathnach, A., & Iqbal, R. (2014), many people have taken vaccinations due to the feel about the emergence of dangerous influenza strains, and the widespread mandatory schemes for vaccination have influenced the way people have access to this form of treatment (page. 95).
According to Healthy People 2020 a goal of theirs is to “increase immunization rates and reduce preventable infections.” The influenza virus is one of these preventable infections, which can cause serious harm to patients. The influenza virus is known as the “flu.” Everyone in his or her life has had some experience with the flu, whether that is himself or herself or a family member. What if there was a way to ensure people from contracting a strain of the influenza virus? Well, thanks to technology and medical research there is.
All clinics that provide physicals and vaccinations should assess and develop approaches to what best fits their population of patients to increase immunization rates. Through promoting vaccines at yearly physicals, having a reminder system, and creating convenient times and locations to receive a vaccination, we can increase the vaccination rate and lower the rate of even more vaccine preventable
There are existing data in literature stating that vaccine reminders and education were associated with greater
The most efficient Influenza management strategy is prevention. The medical systems in most countries provide influenza A and B vaccines annually before the onset of flu seasons. Usually, the flu vaccine is trivalent; protecting the recipients from the three influenza virus subtypes namely; A-H1, A-H3, and B. However, in 2012, a quadrivalent vaccine was developed and availed for use in 2013. This vaccine covers a second variety of the B subtype in addition to the ones covered by the traditional vaccine. Besides, an H5N1 flu shot has been approved by FDA and availed to government agencies (Center for Disease Control and Prevention, 2016). Apart from vaccination, influenza transmission can be minimized by observing public health measures such as reporting and isolating infected individuals by providing home such leaves and treatment.
Healthcare providers need to do a better job with promoting routine vaccinations that can decrease and stop the spread of preventable diseases such as influenza and pneumococcal, considering most insurances and Medicare will cover the cost. Less than 50 % of adults 65 and older are up to date on their vaccines, causing influenza and pneumococcal to be the 7th leading cause of death in the United States for adults over the age of 65 (CDC, 2013). By the year 2030, the population of age 65 and older is expected to double to around 72 million creating the potential for a public health threat (CDC,
The objective for this article was to increase vaccination rates of hospital staff from 20% to 40%. The study was done in a 400 bed teaching hospital. Interventions that were used were free vaccinations and continued education over a 5 year period from 2003 to 2007. The follow up time period was 2008 to 2009. A target group of hospital staff was put together and vaccination rates were tracked yearly. The Avian influenza and
Overall, the flu season comes every year. Do we want to watch patient die unexpectedly knowing that someway or other we might have passed on our illness towards them or do we want to wear mask for the next few month every day at work. A simple vaccine is all it takes. When we admit a patient they shouldn’t have to worry are they going to get sicker because the nurse didn’t get a flu vaccine! The patient are very quick at noticing there environment/people that are providing direct care to them. It should be the healthcare staff responsibility to decrease the nosocomial infection in healthcare setting and one way to do that is to get a flu
King et al. (2006) conducted a study on the effect of vaccinations during influenza season on children. This study was designed to “compare the effect of school-based vaccination on schoolchildren and their household members, regardless of the vaccination status of individual students.” The researchers conducted the study by selecting 24 public elementary schools in Maryland, Texas, Minnesota, and 4 parochial schools in Washington state. They then proceeded to group the schools in clusters based on ethnic background and socioeconomic status. From there, one school was selected