Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in a Pediatric Asthma Management Program by Utilization of an Electronic Medical Record

Abstract

RATIONALE: An electronic medical record (EMR) was implemented between 2000 and 2001 at Cincinnati Group Health Associates (CGHA), and a function of the EMR was utilized as a tool to discover if improvement of influenza vaccination rates could be achieved among moderate to severe asthmatics in the CGHA pediatric population in 2002 and 2003. METHODS: The pediatric population was estimated in the same manner each year from 1993 through 2003, and ranged from 27,000 to 34,000 patients. A roster function of the EMR was used to create patient lists of moderate to severe asthmatics. These patients were chosen by their primary care doctors by using national guidelines . The year 2001 was selected as the baseline for the list, and it was updated yearly in 2002 and 2003. Efforts were made to increase influenza vaccination rates in the 2002 and 2003 roster lists by contacting the patients during the pre-influenza season. RESULTS: Influenza vaccination levels in the moderate to severe asthmatic population were increased 80% by 2003 over baseline 2001 levels. Correspondingly, CGHA pediatric asthma admissions declined 50% by 2003 from a plateau level between 1999 and 2001. All of these results were statistically significant to 95% confidence levels. CONCLUSIONS: An EMR can be used successfully as a tool to improve influenza vaccination compliance in a pediatric moderate to severe asthmatic population.