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      RIZE Pneumococcal Vaccination Best Practices Learning Collaborative

      Background

      The 12-month initiative focused on vaccinating high-risk adults (19-64) with underlying medical conditions based on the 2022 ACIP guidelines. Eight health systems from the RIZE Campaign participated in the Collaborative with the goal of developing and implementing strategies to improve pneumococcal vaccination rates in high-risk adults. In addition, these organizations chose one vulnerable population with lower pneumococcal vaccination rates within their organization to stratify measure data and focus interventions.

      Outcomes

      Improvement: Change in vaccination rates from baseline to Q1 2024 ranged from 3% to 14%, with a collaborative average improvement of 4%.

      Vaccines Administered: 4,852 vaccines administered

      Health Equity Measure

      Improvement: Change in vaccination rates from baseline to Q1 2024 ranged from 3% to 15%, with a collaborative average improvement of 4%.

      Vaccines Administered: 14,138 vaccines administered to selected vulnerable populations

      Group Interventions & Tips

      The participating organizations implemented various interventions such as bulk messaging, multi-language outreach, data tools, and provider support during the Collaborative. Described below each group has highlighted their most impactful intervention implemented in the Collaborative along with tips on how to implement.

      Intervention: Care Gap Closure with Enhanced Order Entry

      Houston Methodist’s Pneumococcal Collaborative goal aimed to scale up the implementation of best practices to effectively promote vaccine confidence and ensure timely vaccination updates through enhanced EHR functionality. By integrating an actionable care gap item, providers and staff can now initiate the vaccine ordering process directly from the storyboard within the EHR.

      Tip: Early engagement with various key stakeholders is crucial to ensure that EHR triggers effectively identify patients with specific conditions who would benefit from pneumococcal immunization.

      Intervention: MyKelseyOnline Outreach for At-Risk Populations

      An outreach campaign was conducted via MyKelseyOnline (Epic messaging) targeting the at-risk population, tailored to their language preferences. The message provided a clear explanation of the vaccine's importance and the reasons for immunization.

      Tip: Ensure that translation services accurately reflect native language preferences to enhance communication and understanding.

      Intervention: Provider Education & Clinical Staff Reminders

      Providers were encouraged to download the Pneumorecs app to aid in decision-making regarding vaccine eligibility. Clinical staff were reminded to reconcile immunizations from the state database and to address care gaps during each patient visit, including the administration of recommended vaccines.

      Tip: Utilize all available tools to stay informed. The landscape of vaccine recommendations is constantly evolving, so it is essential to keep up-to-date with the latest information to provide the best care.

      Intervention: Increasing Vaccination Rates for Hispanic/Latino Population

      NMG leveraged the Epic Health Maintenance High-Risk Pneumococcal build to identify and educate high-risk patients eligible for the vaccine. This included staff education on patient identification during huddles and continuous patient education regarding the necessity of vaccination.

      Tip: Leveraging your EMR for patient identification is key to success, especially given the competing priorities in patient care. Consistent data on vaccination rates and missed opportunities are critical for improving overall immunization rates.

      Intervention: Bulk Messaging to Patients due for Pneumovax

      PAMF implemented a bulk messaging system to remind patients due for Pneumovax. The organization also switched to PCV 20 to streamline the immunization process.

      Tip: Securing buy-in and support from Operations Leadership is essential for establishing dedicated resource rooms or clinics to facilitate Pneumovax administration.

      Intervention: Outreach to specific patient populations

      Education was provided to MAT clinic staff on the importance of pneumococcal vaccination for at-risk patients. Additionally, letters were sent to patients with English as a second language, including Arabic, Somali, and Spanish, in their preferred languages.

      Tip: Tailor communication efforts based on patients' preferred languages, and involve specialty areas in offering pneumonia vaccinations to high-risk patients within those departments.

      Intervention: Population Health Efforts

      The group ran lists of qualifying women with upcoming primary care appointments and conducted pre-visit outreach to offer Prevnar 20 and address any questions. Orders were entered with a timed schedule for the day before the visit, ensuring readiness for administration.

      Tip: Minimize the workload for physicians and clinic staff by streamlining processes and preparing orders in advance.

      Intervention: Patient Outreach and Scheduling

      The Quality Transformation team reached out to the high-risk patient population through MyChart or direct mail, encouraging them to schedule vaccination appointments.

      Tip: Understand the capacity of your team and be aware of potential barriers within your patient population to effectively manage outreach efforts.