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Access, Education and Policy Awareness: Predictors of Influenza Vaccine Acceptance Among VHA Healthcare Workers

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  23 June 2017

Jennifer Lipkowitz Eaton ,
David C. Mohr ,
Kathleen M. McPhaul ,
Richard A. Kaslow  and
Richard A. Martinello
Jennifer Lipkowitz Eaton*
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Patient Care Services, Occupational Health Services, Washington, DC
David C. Mohr
Affiliation:
Center for Healthcare Organization and Implementation Research, VA Boston Healthcare System, Boston, Massachusetts School of Public Health, Boston University, Boston, Massachusetts
Kathleen M. McPhaul
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Patient Care Services, Occupational Health Services, Washington, DC
Richard A. Kaslow
Affiliation:
Department of Veterans Affairs, Office of Public Health, Washington, DC
Richard A. Martinello
Affiliation:
Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics, Yale School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut
*
Address correspondence to Jennifer Lipkowitz Eaton MD, MPH, Medical Advisor for Analytics, VHA Office of Occupational Health Services, 1717 H Street NW, Washington DC 20006 ([email protected]).
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Abstract

OBJECTIVE

To identify predictors of influenza vaccine acceptance among VHA healthcare workers (HCWs), with emphasis on modifiable factors related to promotion campaigns.

DESIGN

Survey.

SETTING

National single-payer healthcare system with 140 hospitals and 321,000 HCWs.

PARTICIPANTS

National voluntary sample of HCWs in the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) system.

METHODS

We invited a random sample of 5% of all VHA HCWs to participate. An 18-item intranet-based survey inquired about occupation, vaccination status, employer policy, and local campaign efforts.

RESULTS

The response rate was 17.4%. Of 2,502 initial respondents, 2,406 (96.2%) provided usable data. This sample includes respondents from all 140 VA hospitals. Self-reported influenza vaccination rates were highest among physicians (95.6%) and licensed independent providers (88.3%). Nonclinical staff (80.7%) reported vaccine uptake similar to other certified but nonlicensed providers (81.2%). The strongest predictor of vaccine acceptance among VHA HCWs was individual awareness of organizational policy. Vaccine acceptance was also higher among HCWs who reported more options for access to vaccination and among those in facilities with more education activities.

CONCLUSIONS

Influenza vaccine acceptance varied significantly by employee awareness of employer policy and on-site access to vaccine. Employer-sponsored activities to increase access continue to show positive returns across occupations. Local influenza campaign efforts to educate HCWs may have reached saturation in this target group. These results suggest that focused communications to increase HCW awareness and understanding of employer policy can drive further increase in influenza vaccination acceptance.

Infect Control Hosp Epidemiol 2017;38:970–975

Type
Original Articles
Information
Infection Control & Hospital Epidemiology , Volume 38 , Issue 8 , August 2017 , pp. 970 - 975
Copyright
© 2017 by The Society for Healthcare Epidemiology of America. All rights reserved 

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