An Opt-Out Influenza Vaccination Policy Improves Immunization Rates in Primary Care

• Published in: Journal of health care for the poor and underserved 2011-02, Vol.22 (1), p.232-242
• Main Authors: Logue, Everett, Dudley, Patricia, Imhoff, Trisha, Smucker, William, Stapin, Jan, DiSabato, John, Schueller, Christine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; African Americans - statistics & numerical data; Aged; Black American people; Child; Child, Preschool; Diabetes; Diabetes Mellitus; European Continental Ancestry Group - statistics & numerical data; Family; Family Practice; Female; Health insurance; Health Policy; Humans; Immunization; Immunization - statistics & numerical data; Immunization - trends; Infant; Influenza; Influenza Vaccines - administration & dosage; Insurance; Insurance, Health - statistics & numerical data; Male; Medicaid - statistics & numerical data; Medicaid program; Medical service; Middle Aged; Patients; Poor; Population policy; Poverty; Prices; Primary health care; Primary Health Care - statistics & numerical data; United States; Urban Health Services; Vaccination and vaccines; Young Adult
• ISSN: 1049-2089; 1548-6869; 1548-6869
• DOI: 10.1353/hpu.2011.0009

During the 2007-08 influenza season 36% of outpatients seen at our urban family medicine center received an influenza immunization. We explored the expected increase in vaccinations from an opt-out policy using standing orders in a lower-income population. A comparison of vaccination rates during the periods 10/1/2007 to 3/31/2008 (P1) versus 10/1/2008 to 3/31/2009 (P2) with adjustments for cohort non-independence. The overall P2 vaccination rate increased to 49% [p