Southern California Kaiser Permanente serves 3 million members in 10 medical centers and 60 medical office buildings throughout Southern California. A centralized immunization tracking system (KITS) is accessible from all departments, and currently contains over 13 million immunization entries. In spite of community and in-house immunization awareness campaigns, the immunization rate for persons 65 years and older Kaiser Permanente members remained unacceptably low.
Persons aged 65 and older were obtained from the Kaiser Permanente membership system, and their immunization status for Pneumoccocal and influenza vaccinations were obtained from KITS. Clinical charts were reviewed for these who were not up-to-date and when immunizations of any type were found, they were "back-entered" into KITS.
The results at one medical center indicated that 60 percent of persons aged 65 and older were appropriately immunized with Pneumoccocal vaccine, and their immunizations had been entered into KITS. Persons without pneumococcal vaccination were telephoned, and appointments made for them to come in and receive their immunizations. During Flu season, Pneumoccocal and influenza immunizations were both offered routinely.
As a result of this study, over 90% of persons aged 65 and over were appropriately immunized for Pneumoccocal disease. This project has now been implemented in all of Southern California Kaiser Permanente.
Learning Objectives: Describe methods to increase immunization levels in adults (particularly the elderly). Evaluate the use of a large immunization register for to improve adult immunization rates.
Keywords: Immunizations, Registry
Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: Kaiser Permanente of Southern California
CDC Vaccine Safety Study
I have a significant financial interest/arrangement or affiliation with any organization/institution whose products or services are being discussed in this session.
Relationship: I am employed by Kaiser Permanente, and I am a researcher on a vaccine safety grant funded by the CDC