KEYWORDS:Pneumococcal
Influenza
Immunizations
BACKGROUND:Together, pneumonia and influenza are the sixth leading cause of death in the United States. In 1993, more than 3.5 billion dollars were spent on inpatient care of Medicare patients with pneumonia. (CDC: Pneumonia and Influenza Death Rates, U.S., 1979-1994. MMWR, 1995; 44-535-537.)
Since 1994, The Foundation sent reminders to people with Medicare. We continue to send reminders because we’ve found that people respond well to them. Early on, the reminders were simple letters encouraging people to get yearly flu shots. Over the years, the reminder has evolved from a simple letter, to postcards, radio/newspaper ads, billboards, posters and table tents. We have found that a multi-faceted approach is most effective in influencing preventive health care decisions.
OBJECTIVE(S):To increase pneumococcal and influenza immunizations.
METHOD(S):
- 1994 . . . Letters to beneficiaries.
- 1995 . . . Letters to beneficiaries.
- 1996 . . . Letters to beneficiaries. Brochures to new enrollees describing Medicare's preventive benefits.
- 1997 . . . Letters to beneficiaries with no billed vaccinations for previous two years; postcards mailed to random sample.
- 1998 . . .Multi-faceted media campaign piloted in one Montana county.
- 1999 . . .Media-focused communitywide reminder campaign to three large towns in MT. Letters to beneficiaries (without billed pneumococcal vaccinations since 1991).
RESULT(S):At baseline in 1993 immunization rates were at 47% in MT(compared to 35% nationally). In 1999, immunization rates in MT increased to 58% (compared to 45% nationally).
CONCLUSIONS(S):From 1994 through 1997, the Foundation used a single intervention approach that accounted for statistically significant increases. However, by adding a media component and by getting the community involved, we were able to see an even more dramatic increase.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES:Participants will learn: how multifaceted campaigns further successes in increasing immunization rates; how combined interventions are more effective at changing behaviors than single interventions.
