The Effect of a Quality Improvement Project on Improving Patients' Willingness to Receive an Influenza Vaccination in the Emergency Department.

Abstract

The aim of this project was to increase willingness to receive the influenza vaccine to the optimal rate of ≥ 70%. Low acuity adult patients who visited an Emergency Department (ED) were assessed regarding their willingness to receive the influenza vaccine before and after an educational intervention that included a provider recommendation and an educational handout. A total of seventy-six patients (n = 76) were assessed. Patients' willingness to receive the influenza vaccine rose from 29% pre-intervention to 72% post-intervention without disrupting the clinical flow in a busy ED. Similar vaccine educational strategies can be applied to influenza and other vaccines in EDs  to increase vaccination willingness in patients, including those who use the ED as a primary point of contact for healthcare, decreasing the burden of influenza illness in the community.