Peer-reviewed article
Pre‐ and post‐intervention study examining immunisation rates, documentation, catch‐up delivery and the impact of a dedicated immunisation service at a tertiary paediatric hospital
Adrian J Tarca, Gloria TY Lau, Filomena Mascaro, Patricia Clifford, Anita J Campbell et al. ·
Summary
Written by AI, not yet AICS's view · claude-sonnet-5-5This study looked at immunisation among children admitted to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Australia. It compared 300 admissions before and 300 admissions after a dedicated immunisation service was started. Many children were not up to date on admission, records were often incomplete, and the national immunisation register was often wrong. Catch-up immunisation within 3 months of discharge was higher after the service began.
Key points
- On admission, 75% of children in cohort 1 (before the service) and 89% in cohort 2 (after the service) were up to date with immunisations.
- Immunisation history was documented in the medical record in 78% of cases, and the need for catch-up was documented in only 10%.
- The Australian Immunisation Register was incorrect in one-third of cases.
- By 3 months after discharge, 28% of cohort 1 and 64% of cohort 2 patients were immunised.
- Children admitted to hospital had lower immunisation rates than the national average, and opportunities for catch-up were missed.
Limitations
The abstract does not say whether the two cohorts were comparable, nor whether other changes over time could explain the differences. It also does not report statistical tests or the specific vaccines, and it covers one hospital only, so results may not apply elsewhere.
Abstract
Aim To explore immunisation rates and catch‐up delivery to children admitted to hospital before and after an immunisation service was commenced. Methods This pre‐ and post‐intervention study examined 300 admissions prior to (cohort 1) and 300 following (cohort 2) the introduction of an immunisation service. Immunisation rates, documentation, catch‐up delivery and accuracy of the Australian Immunisation Register (AIR) were examined. Results On admission, 75% (cohort 1) and 89% (cohort 2) were up‐to‐date with immunisations. Immunisation history was documented in the medical record in 78% and requirement for catch‐up documented in 10%. AIR was incorrect in one‐third of cases. By 3 months following discharge, 28% (cohort 1) and 64% (cohort 2) of patients were immunised. Conclusions Children admitted to hospital have lower immunisation rates than the national average. Documentation was poor, opportunities for catch‐up were missed and AIR is error‐prone. Catch‐up rates increased following the introduction of an immunisation service.
Findings the Hub has extracted
Each claim below is labelled by its type of design and links back to this report.
- Intervention
- A dedicated immunisation service at a tertiary paediatric hospital, delivering catch-up immunisation to admitted children
- Population
- Children admitted to a tertiary paediatric hospital in Australia (300 admissions before and 300 after the service began)
Key finding
Children up to date on admission: 75% before the service and 89% after.
Tarca et al. · Crossref · 14 Oct 2020