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Using A Telephone Reminder System To Improve Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates For Medicare Recipients, Julie A. Koch

Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports

Despite recent advances in healthcare, Streptococcus pneumonia-associated infections contribute to significant morbidity and mortality in older adults. Because of the pneumococcal vaccine’s efficacy for preventing invasive disease, guidelines for vaccinating older adults have been developed; yet, the nation has not met immunization goals. The purpose of this EBP project was to determine if a telephone reminder, as compared to provider recommendation, would increase pneumococcal vaccination rates. The Iowa model and Kotter’s eight stages of change guided this project within a multi-provider office in Northwest Indiana. Within the practice, Medicare patients scheduled from September 1 to November 10, 2010 received a …