Offering the Influenza Vaccine in a Pediatric Hand Surgery Clinic Increases Vaccination Rates.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the utility of providing immediate access to the influenza vaccination for patients seen in a pediatric hand surgery clinic. Our hypothesis was that providing access would increase the rate of vaccination. METHODS: This pilot study was a randomized, controlled, prospective clinical trial that included all patients seen by a single surgeon, on a single day each week, in a hospital-based pediatric hand surgery practice clinic from October 18, 2016, to March 14, 2017. All patients between 6 months and 18 years of age seen during their initial visit during the study period were included. All patients were questioned on their vaccine status. For the intervention group, the influenza vaccine was offered. If requested, after providing educational materials, written consent from the parent or guardian was obtained. The vaccine was given by the registered nurse ordinarily assigned to the clinic. Demographic information and vaccine status for both groups at the end of clinic, including the date of receiving the vaccine, were recorded. RESULTS: Similar proportions of patients in each group had received the vaccine prior to being seen in the clinic. In the intervention group, 80 children (67%) had received the vaccine by the end of clinic, compared with 29 (25%) in the control group. Patients who were offered the vaccine had a statistically significant higher vaccination rate. Of the 80 patients in the intervention group who received the vaccine, 47 (59%) received it in the hand clinic. CONCLUSIONS: This project demonstrated that offering the influenza vaccine in a nontraditional setting, an outpatient hand surgery clinic, increased the proportion of patients receiving the vaccine. TYPE OF STUDY/LEVEL OF EVIDENCE: Therapeutic I.