Influenza Vaccination Rates Remain Low Amid COVID-19 Pandemic

Strategic Insights -

Researchers at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) have conducted a study evaluating the effectiveness of patient portal interventions in improving influenza vaccination rates during the 2020-2021 flu season, which overlapped with the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, published in the journal Preventive Medicine, found that despite various interventions, influenza vaccination rates remained low, with only 39.0% of patients receiving the vaccine.

Key Takeaways:

  • The study involved a two-arm randomized controlled trial (RCT) with a nested factorial design, randomizing 213,773 patients to receive either usual-care control or one or more portal interventions.
  • The interventions tested included pre-commitment messages, monthly portal reminders, direct appointment scheduling, and pre-appointment reminder messages.
  • Despite the interventions, influenza vaccination rates did not differ significantly between the study arms, with a vaccination rate of 38.9% in the control group and 39.2% and 39.1% in the intervention groups.
  • After adjusting for age, gender, insurance, race, ethnicity, and prior influenza vaccination, none of the interventions increased vaccination rates.
  • The study concluded that more intensive or tailored interventions beyond patient portal innovations are needed to increase influenza vaccination rates.

Statistics:

  • 213,773 patients were randomized in the study.
  • The influenza vaccination rate overall was 39.0%.
  • The control group had a vaccination rate of 38.9%.
  • The pre-commitment vs no pre-commitment group had vaccination rates of 39.2% and 38.9%, respectively.
  • The direct appointment scheduling yes/no group had vaccination rates of 39.1% in both arms.
  • The pre-appointment reminders yes/no group had vaccination rates of 39.1% in both arms.
  • 196,070 adults (mean age 54.8 years) and 17,703 children (<18 years) were included in the study.

Sources:

  • Szilagyi, P. G., et al. (2023). Evaluation of Behavioral Economic Strategies To Raise Influenza Vaccination Rates Across a Health System: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial. Preventive Medicine, 170.
  • University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) (2023). Findings from University of California Los Angeles (UCLA) Yields New Findings on COVID-19 (Evaluation of Behavioral Economic Strategies To Raise Influenza Vaccination Rates Across a Health System: Results From a Randomized Clinical Trial). Health Insurance Week, 7 May.