Protect Your Patients-Protect Yourself

2005-2006 Influenza Season Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Challenges  Increase influenza immunization rates among health care workers (HCWs)1  Decrease influenza transmission among staff and patients  Reduce economic impact of influenza (e.g., employee absenteeism)  Increasing HCW immunization rates reduces virus transmission and cost  Communicate employee immunization goals  Vaccination is expected the context of this presentation, “health care worker” or “employee” extends to all personnel in a health care setting who have contact with patients. 1In Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Issues  Influenza is the 6th leading cause of death among adults  Approximately 36,000 deaths and 114,000 hospitalizations each year  Influenza transmission between HCWs and patients is a serious problem in acute & long-term health care facilities  Despite recommendations by the CDC, only 36% of health care workers are vaccinated against influenza each year  Low HCW immunization rates significantly increase expenses associated with employee absenteeism and health care costs Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza At [Insert Your Institution Name] [You may want to include statistics, charts, graphs, or any additional data that may address the following:]  Number of health care-acquired cases of influenza  Number of employee work hours lost to influenza  Cost of diagnosis and treatment  Cost to replace workforce with registry  Adverse events or disruptions in service caused by understaffing due to employees not reporting to work  Cost per unit to administer influenza vaccine vs. cost of health care acquired case of influenza Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza Epidemiology  Influenza is a highly contagious disease that is spread by coughing, sneezing, direct physical contact, contact with certain objects (e.g., doorknobs, phones)  Individuals are contagious for 1 to 4 days before the onset of symptoms and about 5 days after the first symptoms  Approximately 50% of infected people do not present any symptoms but are still contagious Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza Epidemiology  People at high risk for influenza-related complications or death include:    Persons 50 years of age or older Residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities People of any age with chronic medical conditions, as well as immunosuppressed individuals (e.g., asthma, diabetes) Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza and Health Care Workers  Health care workers are frequently implicated as the source of influenza transmission in health care settings:   Employees continue to work while sick with influenza Unvaccinated workers who are not sick can still spread the virus Reduced risk of outbreaks in health care facilities Decreased employee illness and employee absenteeism Reduced health care costs caused by loss of productivity  Benefits of influenza vaccination of HCWs include:    Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza and Health Care Workers  HCW immunization results in significantly reduced morbidity and mortality  One study among geriatric patients in long-term care facilities showed:   43% reduction in influenza-like illness 44% reduction in deaths Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Annual Influenza Immunization  Safe and effective:  70%–90% effective in healthy people under age 65  Contraindicated for those with egg allergies and previous severe reactions to vaccine  CDC recommends yearly influenza vaccination for health care workers, and has done so since the 1960s  Special emphasis placed on high-risk groups, including health care workers  The Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC), among others, supports CDC’s recommendations Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza Transmission in Health Care Facilities:  In 1957, an influenza outbreak infected 39% of patients and incapacitated all but one physician on the neurology ward of a VA hospital  In 2000, an outbreak in a NICU affected 19 infants, killing one; HCWs were the suspected cause of illness because the mothers were not infected Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Influenza Transmission in Health Care Facilities:  In the 1990s, a nursing home outbreak led to infection in 19% of residents   Thirty-four pneumonia cases: 19 residents hospitalized, two deaths Only 10% of health care workers were immunized  An outbreak in a French hospital in 1999 resulted in an average additional cost per patient of $3,700 and an overall cost in patientrelated issues of $34,000 Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Economic Impact of Influenza  Studies show that immunizing health care workers against influenza is cost-effective for health care facilities:  Workers who receive influenza vaccine take approximately 50% fewer sick days  Replacement workers can result in increased expenses caused by decreased productivity, increased medical errors, and disrupted work environments  Staff shortages can result in or be exacerbated by influenza outbreaks  Double shifts increase the probability of medical errors Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Economic Impact of Influenza  Yearly influenza vaccination provides a cost savings for workers:   Immunized employees save approximately $47 in medical costs annually Healthy workers who receive an annual influenza vaccination have about 44% fewer doctor visits Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Objectives of Employee Influenza Immunization Program  Develop strong position on HCWs influenza immunization  Seek leadership and department support  Increase influenza immunization rates at institution to 90% or better  Highlight benefits of HCW immunization on patient, personal, and family safety  Decrease:  Influenza transmission among staff and patients  Deaths/complications/prolonged hospital stays  Confusion between influenza symptoms and other respiratory illnesses (e.g., SARS, Anthrax, common cold and others) Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Employee Influenza Immunization Program  Develop a fun, convenient, and affordable employee influenza immunization program:   Use incentives to encourage participation (e.g., free vaccine for employees, pizza parties, drawings for cafeteria coupons, paid vacation days) Encourage departmental competition to boost immunization rates  Make vaccine more accessible  Multiple “waves” of employee vaccination  Continuous program October-March  No vaccine “missed opportunities,” offer immunization during any OHS visit during influenza season  Bring vaccine to employees with roving carts, multiple clinics and department specific programs Protect Your Patients. Protect Yourself. Employee Influenza Immunization Program  Ask leadership to encourage employee influenza immunization  Educate early and often about the dangers of influenza transmission from HCWs to patients, urge vaccination:  Highlight vaccine safety and efficacy  Dispel myths: You cannot get influenza from the injectable vaccine  Use flyers, newsletter articles, and e-mails to communicate key messages to employees  Monitor health care-associated illness  Compare to HCW vaccination rates  Information may stimulate HCWs to seek vaccination