A review of hospital-based interventions to improve inpatient influenza vaccination uptake for high-risk adults

Abstract

Background: Despite positive steps towards transforming immunisation understanding and practice to better incorporate adults, coverage, especially those at higher risk, is not where it should be. One way to increase uptake is to take advantage of environments outside of primary care which present easy opportunities for vaccination. This study provides a narrative review of hospital-based strategies in acute care settings aimed at improving influenza vaccination rates for adult inpatients.

Methods: A search was conducted using Scopus, Embase and PubMed databases for articles reporting on hospital-based interventions aimed at improving influenza vaccination for adults. Studies published in English were included and descriptively analysed.

Results: A total of 31 articles were included. Tested interventions included 7 standing order protocols (SOP); 4 reminders; 4 assessment/administration programs; 1 patient education program; 1 organisational-based program; 7 multi-component strategies and 8 studies comparing SOPs with other strategies. One article was included in both SOPs and reminders categories. Studies were published between 1983 and 2017 and conducted in the USA, Canada, or Australia. 18 studies reported statistical significance. Individually, each type of intervention showed success. SOPs were significantly more effective than other individual interventions, but multi-component interventions (which included an SOP) were more effective than SOPs alone. Three articles reported no significant increase in uptake attributed mainly to patient refusals, even with a strategy involving patient education. Only three studies tested provider-level strategies including hospital campaigns, hospital reward programs and interdepartmental competitions, and showed success.

Conclusions: Hospital-based interventions are an effective means of improving opportunistic inpatient vaccination. Suggestions for future research include organisational or system-based interventions; qualitative review of barriers and enablers to inpatient vaccination programs; and re-examination of outpatient settings for vaccine delivery. Most studies were not randomised or controlled; therefore, we also recommend additional RCT studies to confirm existing findings on individual strategies.

Keywords: Hospital; Immunization; Influenza; Nurses; Pharmacy; Standing operating procedures.