Improving immunization (imm) rates among oncology patients and health care providers (HCP) through a partnership of continuing medical education (CME) and quality improvement (QI) in an NCI-designated comprehensive cancer center.

Authors

null

Lucille A. Leong

City of Hope, Duarte, CA

Lucille A. Leong, Mary Mendelsohn, Ted Bruno, Jean Kagan, Crystal J. Saavedra, Wendy Scales, Robert Morgan

Organizations

City of Hope, Duarte, CA, The France Foundation, Old Lyme, CT

Research Funding

No funding sources reported

Background: Onc pts are at increased risk of vaccine (vac)-preventable diseases and suffer worse sequelae. Regulatory requirements demand imm of patients and HCP. There is a large practice gap among clinicians in awareness of imm guidelines, of pt imm status, and of the high risk of transmission from HCP to immunocompromised pt. Methods: From May 2012 to June 2013 the City of Hope CME coordinated a team of MDs, QI specialists, infection control, IT, nursing, and pharmacy in a QI CME initiative to increase the imm rates of pt and HCP by education (ed) to clinicians, pt and families. Multiple ed platforms were used (live CME meetings, web-based content, point of care applications, visual cues, clinician longitudinal self-assessment surveys, systems-based support tools, patient handouts) with emphasis on MD-friendly platforms. Results: >350 HCP participated in CME events (59% MDs, 18% RN). Analysis of ed and clinical outcomes is from 4 areas. (1) Change in HCP attitudes through self-assessment surveys shows an increase in clinician knowledge of types and timing of imm, in use of system-based tools (standard orders, vac computerized manager), and in involvement of pts in imm history and ed. (2) There was an increase of doses of influenza vaccines in pts (Sept-March, 2010-11/ 2011-12/ 2012-13: 1129/1480(31% increase)/1838(24% increase). (3) Respiratory viral testing of pts was done to assess number of confirmed infections. (4) Influenza vac rates of hospital workers improved with the largest increase in the medical staff (65 to 76%). Conclusions: This interdisciplinary CME initiative to improve imm rates among onc pts involved ed activities and system-based changes. Improvements were seen in areas of HCP attitude, performance, and acceptance of their own vac. 24% of the medical staff remain unvaccinated, raising both ethical and compliance challenges to reach the 2020 90% goal of Joint Commission. A gap remains in HCP attitudes regarding their own vac which may not be amenable to analytical-based CME. Use of other decision-making/learning styles is necessary for further progress. CA62505 and Pfizer.

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Abstract Details

Meeting

2013 ASCO Quality Care Symposium

Session Type

Poster Session

Session Title

General Poster Session A: Science of Quality

Track

Science of Quality,Health Reform: Implications for Costs and Quality ,Practice of Quality

Sub Track

Quality Improvement

Citation

J Clin Oncol 31, 2013 (suppl 31; abstr 43)

Abstract #

43

Poster Bd #

B19

Abstract Disclosures

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