Improving Adult Immunization Rates through Partnerships with Providers and National Organizations

The purpose of this cooperative agreement is to develop and implement programs designed to increase adult immunization rates, using the principles of the Standards for Adult Immunization Practice. The Standards are a call to action to healthcare providers to develop new approaches in the way they immunize their adult patients. Applicants will propose a plan that will demonstrate: 1. ASSESSMENT: Increased number of healthcare providers who routinely assess vaccination status of their adult patients at every clinical encounter. 2. RECOMMEND: Stronger immunization recommendations that providers make to their patients. 3. GIVE VACCINE OR REFER OUT: Improvements in immunization systems at point of care (e.g. use of immunization information systems (IIS) or electronic health records changes in patient care procedures.) 4. DOCUMENT: Increased number of providers who document immunizations in IIS Applicants will propose a work plan designed to increase adult immunization rates. The proposed package of activities should combine elements of 1. Quality improvement, 2. Clinician education, and 3. Changes in adult patient care procedures. In the first phase of the project, the Demonstration Phase, the activities will focus on a target group of healthcare providers, and help them to improve their immunization services for a group of real patients. In the second phase of the project, the Dissemination Phase, efforts will focus on implementing effective models among a wider national audience of healthcare providers. The FOA seeks efforts that demonstrate successful models of technical packages, defined by Frieden as "a selected group of related interventions, that together, will achieve and sustain synergistic improvements" in immunization rates.Evidence-based strategies for increasing immunization rates are outlined in The Guide to Community Preventive Services and other reputable science-driven sources. New approaches are needed for selecting, combining and implementing the most effective impact-driven set of activities for increasing adult immunization rates.