Using Rapid-Cycle Change to Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy in Primary Care

Lindsay S Hunt; Erin E Sullivan; Jordan Susa; Roger Chaufournier; Claudine Joseph; Russell S Phillips; Kirsten Meisinger

doi:10.3390/ijerph20042902

Using Rapid-Cycle Change to Improve COVID-19 Vaccination Strategy in Primary Care

Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2023 Feb 7;20(4):2902. doi: 10.3390/ijerph20042902.

Authors

Lindsay S Hunt¹, Erin E Sullivan^{2

3

4}, Jordan Susa², Roger Chaufournier³, Claudine Joseph⁵, Russell S Phillips^{3

4

6}, Kirsten Meisinger^{3

7}

Affiliations

¹ Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute, Dallas, TX 75214, USA.
² Sawyer Business School, Suffolk University, Boston, MA 02108, USA.
³ Center for Primary Care, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
⁴ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
⁵ Diversity by Doing HealthTech, Mountain View, CA 94040, USA.
⁶ Department of Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston, MA 02115, USA.
⁷ Cambridge Health Alliance, Cambridge, MA 02143, USA.

Abstract

During the COVID-19 pandemic, misinformation and distrust exacerbated disparities in vaccination rates by race and ethnicity throughout the United States. Primary care, public health systems, and community health centers have shifted their vaccination outreach strategies toward these disparate, unvaccinated populations. To support primary care, we developed the SAVE Sprint model for implementing rapid-cycle change to improve vaccination rates by overcoming community outreach barriers and workforce limitations. Participants were recruited for the 10-week SAVE Sprint program through partnerships with the National Association of Community Health Centers (NACHC) and the Resilient American Communities (RAC) Initiative. The majority of the participants were from community health centers. Data were evaluated during the program through progress reports and surveys, and interviews conducted three months post-intervention were recorded, coded, and analyzed. The SAVE Sprint model of rapid-cycle change exceeded participants' expectations and led to improvements in patient education and vaccination among their vulnerable populations. Participants reported building new skills and identifying strategies for targeting specific populations during a public health emergency. However, participants reported that planning for rapid-pace change and trust-building with community partners prior to a health care crisis is preferable and would make navigating an emergency easier.

Keywords: COVID-19; primary care; rapid change; vaccination.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

COVID-19 Vaccines*
COVID-19*
Humans
Pandemics
Primary Health Care
United States
Vaccination

Substances

COVID-19 Vaccines

Grants and funding

The authors are grateful to ModernaTX, Inc. for sponsoring the SAVE Sprint. ModernaTX, Inc. had no role in the design or conduct of the study; collection, management, analysis, or interpretation of the data; or preparation, review, or approval of the manuscript.