Cluster RCT - Evaluating Effectiveness of a Guide and Tools for Influenza Immunization Campaign Planners

Overview

During the 2010-2011 and the 2011-2012 seasonal influenza immunization campaigns, we will recruit a minimum of 46 healthcare organizations to either conduct their campaigns as usual or to use the "Successful Influenza Immunization Campaigns for Healthcare Personnel: A Guide for Campaign Planners and a web-based grab-and-go Tool Kit. At the end of the campaign season we will evaluate the impact of the Guide and web-based tools and assess whether there were changes in immunization rates within each organization and/or if there were significant changes in the management of the campaigns across organizations. Following completion of the study, we will work with partner organizations to make these tools available to all Canadian healthcare organizations.

Keeping nurses, physicians and allied health professionals working during seasonal influenza epidemics is essential. Influenza immunization has been shown to mitigate the adverse health outcomes associated with influenza in the community. When provided to healthcare personnel, influenza vaccine reduces the frequency and severity of influenza outbreaks and reduces influenza-associated morbidity and mortality among patients by reducing the transmission of influenza from healthcare personnel to their vulnerable patients. Despite abundant evidence of the safety and efficacy of the influenza vaccine, immunization rates among healthcare personnel in hospital and long-term settings remain well below the public health target of 90%. Current initiatives targeted at increasing healthcare personnel immunization rates are having limited success with healthcare personnel immunization rates as low as 2%, but averaging 40% - 60% in most healthcare facilities being reported. Following the work of the research team over the past two years, a Guide, called "Successful Influenza Immunization Campaigns for Healthcare Personnel: A Guide for Campaign Planners" has been developed, along with web-based "grab and go" tools (the Toolkit). This practical Guide is structured to facilitate the use of the evidence-based research on strategies to increase immunization rates by healthcare planners.