The 131st Annual Meeting (November 15-19, 2003) of APHA

Abstract #56967

Julia L. Heinzerling, MPH¹, Sharon Hoffman-Spector, RN, BSN, MS, CPHQ², Erica Jones, BA, GEC Fellow², Lawrence H Rasouliyan, MPH², and Gloria Reed, RN, BS¹. (1) Community-Based Quality Improvement, CMRI, One Sansome Street, #600, San Francisco, CA 94104, 415-677-2060, capro.jheinzerling@sdps.org, (2) Facility-Based Quality Improvement, CMRI, One Sansome Street, #600, San Francisco, CA 94104

Background: Influenza and pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccines (PPV) are highly effective in reducing related complications for older adults, yet vaccination rates in California, especially among African Americans, remain far below our 90 % Healthy People 2010 goal. In 2000, only 43.5% of African American Medicare beneficiaries over age 65 surveyed by CMRI, California’s Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, reported receiving an influenza vaccination in the past twelve months. CMRI launched a three-year campaign to improve vaccination rates for African American beneficiaries aged 65 and older in Alameda and Los Angeles counties.

Goal/Purpose: To implement effective community and church-based vaccination interventions that are driven by an expanded understanding of vaccination barriers, motivators, and causes of disparity within the African American community.

Methods: ·Expand our base of knowledge through pre- and post-intervention telephone surveys, focus groups, and a community panel ·Implement knowledge-driven community and church-based interventions including: church and community outreach, newsletters, partnerships, culturally-appropriate educational materials and sessions, and media events

Results: CMRI identified attitudes and beliefs as key vaccination barriers and physician recommendation as a strong motivator in the African American community. Post-intervention telephone survey results did not reveal a statistically significant improvement in vaccination rates, however, positive attitudinal shifts occurred. Finally, CMRI built productive partnerships with a range of pivotal stakeholders.

Conclusion: African American vaccination rates remain disturbingly low; this project yielded important lessons around mobilizing community efforts to address the disparity. Project findings are consistent with findings from other QIOs and can inform future efforts to improve vaccination strategies.

Learning Objectives:

• Describe a community outreach program designed to improve vaccination rates among Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 6
• Identify key vaccination motivators for and/or barriers to influenza and PPV vaccination among African American Medicare beneficiaries over the age of 6
• Discuss the role of partnerships in addressing vaccination rates in an underserved community.
• Incorporate lessons from CMRI’s campaign into the development of strategies designed to improve vaccination rates in the African American Medicare beneficiary population.

Keywords: Immunizations, African American

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
I do not have any significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.