COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target

There is a need to optimize SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) to protect staff and patients from healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations implemented vaccine mandates for HCWs. Whether or not a traditional quality improve...

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Main Authors: Jerome A Leis, Brigette Hales, Adina S Weinerman, Alexandra Chirila, Christopher Townsend, Nicholas Tomiczek, Victoria R Williams
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: BMJ Publishing Group 2023-02-01
Series:BMJ Open Quality
Online Access:https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/1/e002103.full
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author Jerome A Leis
Brigette Hales
Adina S Weinerman
Alexandra Chirila
Christopher Townsend
Nicholas Tomiczek
Victoria R Williams
author_facet Jerome A Leis
Brigette Hales
Adina S Weinerman
Alexandra Chirila
Christopher Townsend
Nicholas Tomiczek
Victoria R Williams
author_sort Jerome A Leis
collection DOAJ
description There is a need to optimize SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) to protect staff and patients from healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations implemented vaccine mandates for HCWs. Whether or not a traditional quality improvement approach can achieve high-rates of COVID-19 vaccination is not known. Our organization undertook iterative changes that focused on the barriers to vaccine uptake. These barriers were identified through huddles, and addressed through extensive peer outreach, with a focus on access and issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion. The outreach interventions were informed by real-time data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in our organization. The vaccine rate reached 92.3% by 6 December 2021 with minimal differences in vaccine uptake by professional role, clinical department, facility or whether the staff had a patient facing role. Improving vaccine uptake should be a quality improvement target in healthcare organizations and our experience shows that high vaccine rates are achievable through concerted efforts targeting specific barriers to vaccine confidence.
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spelling doaj-art-f0af9cef185f4fd2aaddfd5f079af02c2024-12-31T16:40:09ZengBMJ Publishing GroupBMJ Open Quality2399-66412023-02-0112110.1136/bmjoq-2022-002103COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement targetJerome A Leis0Brigette Hales1Adina S Weinerman2Alexandra Chirila3Christopher Townsend4Nicholas Tomiczek5Victoria R Williams6Sunnybrook Research Institute, Toronto, ON, Canada1 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada2 Department of Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada2 Temerty Faculty of Medicine, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, Canada1 Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre, Toronto, Ontario, CanadaThere is a need to optimize SARS-CoV-2 vaccination rates amongst healthcare workers (HCWs) to protect staff and patients from healthcare-associated COVID-19 infection. During the COVID-19 pandemic, many organizations implemented vaccine mandates for HCWs. Whether or not a traditional quality improvement approach can achieve high-rates of COVID-19 vaccination is not known. Our organization undertook iterative changes that focused on the barriers to vaccine uptake. These barriers were identified through huddles, and addressed through extensive peer outreach, with a focus on access and issues related to equity, diversity and inclusion. The outreach interventions were informed by real-time data on COVID-19 vaccine uptake in our organization. The vaccine rate reached 92.3% by 6 December 2021 with minimal differences in vaccine uptake by professional role, clinical department, facility or whether the staff had a patient facing role. Improving vaccine uptake should be a quality improvement target in healthcare organizations and our experience shows that high vaccine rates are achievable through concerted efforts targeting specific barriers to vaccine confidence.https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/1/e002103.full
spellingShingle Jerome A Leis
Brigette Hales
Adina S Weinerman
Alexandra Chirila
Christopher Townsend
Nicholas Tomiczek
Victoria R Williams
COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
BMJ Open Quality
title COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
title_full COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
title_fullStr COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
title_full_unstemmed COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
title_short COVID-19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers: an achievable quality improvement target
title_sort covid 19 vaccine uptake among healthcare workers an achievable quality improvement target
url https://bmjopenquality.bmj.com/content/12/1/e002103.full
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