Biomedical subjects

J Wuorenma

Publications and source records attributed to J Wuorenma.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

Benefits of influenza vaccination for low-, intermediate-, and high-risk senior citizens.

BACKGROUND: Vaccination rates for healthy senior citizens are lower than those for senior citizens with underlying medical conditions such as chronic heart or lung disease. Uncertainty about the benefits of influenza vaccination for healthy senior citizens may contribute to lower rates of utilization in this group. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the benefits of influenza vaccination among low-risk senior citizens while concurrently assessing the benefits for intermediate- and high-risk senior citizens. METHODS: All elderly members of a large health maintenance organization were included in each of 6 consecutive study cohorts. Subjects were grouped according to risk status: high risk (having heart or lung disease), intermediate risk (having diabetes, renal disease, stroke and/or dementia, or rheumatologic disease), and low risk. Outcomes were compared between vaccinated and unvaccinated subjects after controlling for baseline demographic and health characteristics. RESULTS: There were more than 20000 subjects in each of the 6 cohorts who provided 147551 person-periods of observation. The pooled vaccination rate was 60%. There were 101 619 person-periods of observation for low-risk subjects, 15 482 for intermediate-risk, and 30 450 for high-risk subjects. Vaccination over the 6 seasons was associated with an overall reduction of 39% for pneumonia hospitalizations (P<.001), a 32% decrease in hospitalizations for all respiratory conditions (P<.001), and a 27% decrease in hospitalizations for congestive heart failure (P<.001). Immunization was also associated with a 50% reduction in all-cause mortality (P<.001). Within the risk subgroups, vaccine effectiveness was 29%, 32%, and 49% for high-, intermediate-, and low-risk senior citizens for reducing hospitalizations for pneumonia and influenza (for high and low risk, P< or =.002; for intermediate risk, P = .11). Effectiveness was 19%, 39%, and 33% (for each, P< or =.008), respectively, for reducing hospitalizations for all respiratory conditions and 49%, 64%, and 55% for reducing deaths from all causes (for each, P<.001). Vaccination was also associated with direct medical care cost savings of $73 per individual vaccinated for all subjects combined (P = .002). Estimates of cost savings within each risk group suggest that vaccination would be cost saving for each subgroup (range of cost savings of $171 per individual vaccinated for high risk to $7 for low risk), although within the subgroups these findings did not reach statistical significance (for each, P> or =.05). CONCLUSIONS: This study confirms that healthy senior citizens as well as senior citizens with underlying medical conditions are at risk for the serious complications of influenza and benefit from vaccination. All individuals 65 years or older should be immunized with this vaccine.

Aged↗

PubMed1994

The efficacy and cost effectiveness of vaccination against influenza among elderly persons living in the community.

BACKGROUND: Despite recommendations for annual vaccination against influenza, more than half of elderly Americans do not receive this vaccine. In a serial cohort study, we assessed the efficacy and cost effectiveness of influenza vaccine administered to older persons living in the community. METHODS: Using administrative data bases, we studied men and women over 64 years of age who were enrolled in a large health maintenance organization in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area. We examined the rate of vaccination and the occurrence of influenza and its complications in each of three seasons: 1990-1991, 1991-1992, and 1992-1993. Outcomes were adjusted for age, sex, diagnoses indicating a high risk, use of medications, and previous use of health care services. RESULTS: Each cohort included more than 25,000 persons 65 years of age or older. Immunization rates ranged from 45 percent to 58 percent. Although the vaccine recipients had more coexisting illnesses at base line than those who did not receive the vaccine, during each influenza season vaccination was associated with a reduction in the rate of hospitalization for pneumonia and influenza (by 48 to 57 percent, P < or = 0.002) and for all acute and chronic respiratory conditions (by 27 to 39 percent, P < or = 0.01). Vaccination was also associated with a 37 percent reduction (P = 0.04) in the rate of hospitalization for congestive heart failure during the 1991-1992 season, when influenza A was epidemic. The costs of hospitalization for all types of illness studied were lower in the vaccinated group during 1991-1992 (range of reduction, 47 to 66 percent; P < 0.005) and for acute and chronic respiratory conditions and congestive heart failure in 1990-1991 (reductions of 37 percent and 43 percent, respectively; P < or = 0.05). Direct savings per year averaged $117 per person vaccinated (range, $21 to $235), with cumulative savings of nearly $5 million. Vaccination was also associated with reductions of 39 to 54 percent in mortality from all causes during the three influenza seasons (P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: For elderly citizens living in the community, vaccination against influenza is associated with reductions in the rate of hospitalization and in deaths from influenza and its complications, as compared with the rates in unvaccinated elderly persons, and vaccination produces direct dollar savings.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1994

Implementing a mass influenza vaccination program.

A 15-site health maintenance organization (HMO) implemented a mass influenza vaccination program to heighten awareness of the vaccine and immunize more "at-risk" members. Successful interventions conducted over a two-year period included: a direct mail leaflet, pharmacy bag reminders, posters at each medical center, articles in the HMO member newsletter, staff education, standing orders for nursing and, most important, the availability and access to vaccination through walk-in clinics. Immunization rates were examined for patients considered "at-risk." In addition, assessments were made to determine program effectiveness and patient and staff satisfaction.

Health Maintenance Organizations↗

PubMed1992

Exporting a successful influenza vaccination program from a teaching hospital to a community outpatient setting.

PURPOSE: To assess whether we could export a successful multifaceted influenza vaccination program from an academic medical center to a community setting. DESIGN: Pre/post study using concurrent control groups. SETTING: Clinics in a staff model Health Maintenance Organization (HMO). One urban and one suburban clinic were chosen as intervention clinics, while two similar clinics were selected as control clinics. PATIENTS: All patients aged 65 and over enrolled in the four clinics. INTERVENTIONS: An informational mailing to patients, a standing-order policy allowing nurses to administer vaccine, a vaccination reminder on daily appointment lists, and availability of walk-in visits for vaccination. Patients in the control clinics received usual care. MEASUREMENTS: Vaccination rates were determined using a validated postcard survey of 150 randomly selected patients at each clinic both at baseline (1988-89) and after the intervention (1989-90). RESULTS: The baseline vaccination rates ranged from 51.4% to 74.6%, with nearly all vaccinations taking place at the HMO. In one intervention clinic, the vaccination rate improved from 56.4% to 72.3%, P = 0.01. In the other, the baseline rate was 74.6% and did not change significantly after the intervention. There was no change in the vaccination rate in the control clinics after the intervention period. CONCLUSIONS: An influenza vaccination program that combines several organizational interventions may be successfully exported from an academic to a community setting and may serve as a useful model for others.

Aged↗