# The Effect of a Quality Improvement Project on Improving Patients’ Willingness to Receive an Influenza Vaccination in the Emergency Department

## TL;DR

This study shows that an educational intervention in an emergency department significantly increased patients' willingness to receive the influenza vaccine.

## Contribution

The novel contribution is demonstrating a practical, non-disruptive method to boost vaccination willingness in a high-traffic ED setting.

## Key findings

- Willingness to receive the influenza vaccine increased from 29% to 72% after the intervention.
- The intervention did not disrupt clinical workflows in the emergency department.
- The approach could be applied to other vaccines and benefit patients who use the ED as their primary healthcare access point.

## Abstract

The aim of this project was to increase willingness to receive the influenza vaccine to the optimal rate of ≥ 70%. Low acuity adult patients who visited an Emergency Department (ED) were assessed regarding their willingness to receive the influenza vaccine before and after an educational intervention that included a provider recommendation and an educational handout. A total of seventy-six patients (n = 76) were assessed. Patients’ willingness to receive the influenza vaccine rose from 29% pre-intervention to 72% post-intervention without disrupting the clinical flow in a busy ED. Similar vaccine educational strategies can be applied to influenza and other vaccines in EDs  to increase vaccination willingness in patients, including those who use the ED as a primary point of contact for healthcare, decreasing the burden of influenza illness in the community.