Changes in influenza vaccination rates among healthcare workers following a pandemic influenza year at a Japanese tertiary care centre

Asplenia and hyposplenia (a/hyposplenia) are associated with increased morbidity and mortality from complications including infection. The recommended measures to reduce the risks associated with infection include patient education, vaccination and early initiation of antibiotic therapy for fever. Despite these recommendations, there is poor adherence to best practice management of patients with asplenia or hyposplenia (PWA/H). We present the development methodology and pilot data of a quality improvement project that explored whether a programme involving a novel medical alert card together with a patient and healthcare provider educational booklet increased vaccination rates and improved awareness and understanding of the infectious implications of a/hyposplenia. Our aim was to increase the proportion of those appropriately vaccinated and the proportion of patients with proper understanding of fever management by twofold in 18 months. Questionnaires were used locally as a root-cause-analysis to confirm the need for education and evaluate the effectiveness of the programme, as well as patient satisfaction. An interdisciplinary team developed a toolkit composed of a medical alert card and booklet. The toolkit was distributed to PWA/H who presented for a haematology clinic visit at a tertiary care centre. A separate set of questionnaires was then used to evaluate satisfaction and obtain feedback from patients and practitioners receiving the toolkit for the first time. Changes suggested by patients and practitioners with unanimous agreement among study investigators were made to the toolkit. The pilot study showed an increase in vaccination rates and awareness of vaccination status and appropriate fever management. The majority of the patients and practitioners found the information provided by the toolkit helpful. Given these promising single-centre findings, the intervention is being extended to another tertiary care centre with a large red blood cell disorders programme to evaluate its generalisability. The next step will be to expand the scope to paediatric PWA/H.

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Nasal carriage of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus amongst healthcare workers of intensive care unit of a tertiary care centre in South India: An observational cross-sectional study

Journal of Patient Safety & Infection Control ◽

10.4103/jpsic.jpsic_9_20 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 8 (2) ◽

pp. 64

Author(s):

AbhishekThanuja Jayadhar ◽

Ashish Jitendranath ◽

AmaluAnn Thomas ◽

GS Sarika

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

South India ◽

Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Nasal Carriage ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Care Centre ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Tertiary Care Centre ◽

Cross Sectional

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Bacteriological assessment of stethoscopes used by healthcare workers in a tertiary care centre of Nepal

BMC Research Notes ◽

10.1186/s13104-017-2677-7 ◽

2017 ◽

Vol 10 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 5

Author(s):

Sangita Thapa ◽

Lokendra Bahadur Sapkota

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Centre ◽

Tertiary Care Centre

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Use of a Pandemic Preparedness Drill to Increase Rates of Influenza Vaccination Among Healthcare Workers

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/526434 ◽

2008 ◽

Vol 29 (2) ◽

pp. 111-115 ◽

Cited By ~ 16

Author(s):

Jennifer L. Kuntz ◽

Stephanie Holley ◽

Charles M. Helms ◽

Joseph E. Cavanaugh ◽

Jeff Vande Berg ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Patient Care ◽

Pandemic Influenza ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Administrative Support ◽

Medical Center ◽

Vaccination Campaign ◽

Academic Medical Center ◽

Direct Patient Care ◽

Vaccination Rates

Objective.To determine the effect of a pandemic influenza preparedness drill on the rate of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs).Design.Before-after intervention trial.Setting.The University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics (UIHC), a large, academic medical center, during 2005.Subjects.Staff members at UIHC.Methods.UIHC conducted a pandemic influenza preparedness drill that included a goal of vaccinating a large number of HCWs in 6 days without disrupting patient care. Peer vaccination and mobile vaccination teams were used to vaccinate HCWs, educational tools were distributed to encourage HCWs to be vaccinated, and resources were allocated on the basis of daily vaccination reports. Logit models were used to compare vaccination rates achieved during the 2005 vaccination drill with the vaccination rates achieved during the 2003 vaccination campaign.Results.UIHC vaccinated 54% of HCWs (2,934 of 5,467) who provided direct patient care in 6 days. In 2 additional weeks, this rate increased to 66% (3,625 of 5,467). Overall, 66% of resident physicians (311 of 470) and 63% of nursing staff (1,429 of 2,255) were vaccinated. Vaccination rates in 2005 were significantly higher than the hospitalwide rate of 41% (5,741 of 14, 086) in 2003.Conclusions.UIHC dramatically increased the influenza vaccination rate among HCWs by conducting a pandemic influenza preparedness drill. Additionally, the drill allowed us to conduct a bioemergency drill in a realistic scenario, use innovative methods for vaccine delivery, and secure administrative support for future influenza vaccination campaigns. Our study demonstrates how a drill can be used to improve vaccination rates significantly.

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Prevalence and Contributing Factors of Low Back Pain among Healthcare Workers at Tertiary Care Centre

Journal of Medical Science And clinical Research ◽

10.18535/jmscr/v8i3.55 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 08 (03) ◽

Author(s):

Yadav Arun ◽

Keyword(s):

Low Back Pain ◽

Back Pain ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Low Back ◽

Care Centre ◽

Contributing Factors ◽

Tertiary Care Centre

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Seroprevalence of Anti Sars Cov 2 Igg Antibodies in Healthcare Workers Working In Covid Isolation Wards at a Tertiary Care Centre in Hyderabad

Indian Journal of Medical Microbiology ◽

10.1016/j.ijmmb.2021.08.191 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 39 ◽

pp. S56

Author(s):

Nivedita Mohan ◽

N. Sridevi ◽

N. Padmapriya ◽

D. Sharanya ◽

G. Jyothi Lakshmi

Keyword(s):

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Care Centre ◽

Igg Antibodies ◽

Tertiary Care Centre

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Mandatory Influenza Vaccination of Healthcare Workers: A 5-Year Study

Infection Control and Hospital Epidemiology ◽

10.1086/656210 ◽

2010 ◽

Vol 31 (9) ◽

pp. 881-888 ◽

Cited By ~ 169

Author(s):

Robert M. Rakita ◽

Beverly A. Hagar ◽

Patricia Crome ◽

Joyce K. Lammert

Keyword(s):

Influenza Vaccination ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Influenza Season ◽

Medical Center ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Vaccination Program ◽

First Year ◽

Vaccination Rates ◽

Religious Reasons ◽

To Receive

Background.The rate of influenza vaccination among healthcare workers (HCWs) is low, despite a good rationale and strong recommendations for vaccination from many health organizations.Objective.To increase influenza vaccination rates by instituting the first mandatory influenza vaccination program for HCWs.Design and Setting.A 5-year study (from 2005 to 2010) at Virginia Mason Medical Center, a tertiary care, multispecialty medical center in Seattle, Washington, with approximately 5,000 employees.Methods.All HCWs of the medical center were required to receive influenza vaccination. HCWs who were granted an accommodation for medical or religious reasons were required to wear a mask at work during influenza season. The main outcome measure was rate of influenza vaccination among HCWs.Results.In the first year of the program, there were a total of 4,703 HCWs, of whom 4,588 (97.6%) were vaccinated, and influenza vaccination rates of more than 98% were sustained over the subsequent 4 years of our study. Less than 0.7% of HCWs were granted an accommodation for medical or religious reasons and were required to wear a mask at work during influenza season, and less than 0.2% of HCWs refused vaccination and left Virginia Mason Medical Center.Conclusion.A mandatory influenza vaccination program for HCWs is feasible, results in extremely high vaccination rates, and can be sustained over the course of several years.

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SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence in healthcare workers of a Swiss tertiary care centre at the end of the first wave: a cross-sectional study

BMJ Open ◽

10.1136/bmjopen-2021-049232 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (7) ◽

pp. e049232

Author(s):

Sylvain Meylan ◽

Urania Dafni ◽

Frederic Lamoth ◽

Zoi Tsourti ◽

Michael A Lobritz ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Risk Factors ◽

Healthcare Workers ◽

Tertiary Care ◽

Cross Sectional Study ◽

Hospital Environment ◽

Seroprevalence Rate ◽

Care Centre ◽

Sectional Study ◽

Tertiary Care Centre ◽

Cross Sectional

ObjectiveTo assess the SARS-CoV-2 transmission in healthcare workers (HCWs) using seroprevalence as a surrogate marker of infection in our tertiary care centre according to exposure.DesignSeroprevalence cross-sectional study.SettingSingle centre at the end of the first COVID-19 wave in Lausanne, Switzerland.Participants1874 of 4074 responders randomly selected (46% response rate), stratified by work category among the 13 474 (13.9%) HCWs.Main outcome measuresEvaluation of SARS-CoV-2 serostatus paired with a questionnaire of SARS-CoV-2 acquisition risk factors internal and external to the workplace.ResultsThe overall SARS-CoV-2 seroprevalence rate among HCWs was 10.0% (95% CI 8.7% to 11.5%). HCWs with daily patient contact did not experience increased rates of seropositivity relative to those without (10.3% vs 9.6%, respectively, p=0.64). HCWs with direct contact with patients with COVID-19 or working in COVID-19 units did not experience increased seropositivity rates relative to their counterparts (10.4% vs 9.8%, p=0.69 and 10.6% vs 9.9%, p=0.69, respectively). However, specific locations of contact with patients irrespective of COVID-19 status—in patient rooms or reception areas—did correlate with increased rates of seropositivity (11.9% vs 7.5%, p=0.019 and 14.3% vs 9.2%, p=0.025, respectively). In contrast, HCWs with a suspected or proven SARS-CoV-2-infected household contact had significantly higher seropositivity rates than those without such contacts (19.0% vs 8.7%, p<0.001 and 42.1% vs 9.4%, p<0.001, respectively). Finally, consistent use of a mask on public transportation correlated with decreased seroprevalence (5.3% for mask users vs 11.2% for intermittent or no mask use, p=0.030).ConclusionsThe overall seroprevalence was 10% without significant differences in seroprevalence between HCWs exposed to patients with COVID-19 and HCWs not exposed. This suggests that, once fully in place, protective measures limited SARS-CoV-2 occupational acquisition within the hospital environment. SARS-CoV-2 seroconversion among HCWs was associated primarily with community risk factors, particularly household transmission.

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