Impact of the Introduction of a Vaccination Status Checkbox in Electronic Medical Records on Pneumococcal Vaccination Rates

Abstract

It has been reported that vaccination rates with pneumococcal vaccine are low in elderly persons in Japan. The primary aim of this study was to examine whether introduction of a vaccination status checkbox in electronic medical records increased the vaccination rates. Materials and Methods: Subjects were inpatients and outpatients of the Department of General Medicine at Juntendo University Hospital between April 1, 2016 and March 31, 2018. The vaccination rates of individuals ≥65 years old were calculated based on a checkbox in the electronic medical records. Results: A total of 30,580 people ≥65 years of age were evaluated. The vaccination rate (19.5%) for individuals ≥65 years old after introducing a regular vaccination schedule was significantly higher than the vaccination rate (8.4%) before introducing the schedule (p < 0.01). Conclusions: With the introduction of a regular vaccination schedule for the 23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccination targeting elderly individuals since October 2014 in Japan, the vaccination rate was shown to be improved by the introduction of a checkbox to indicate a patientʼs vaccination status in the electronic medical records. Vaccination rates with pneumococcal vaccine in elderly persons might be a good quality indicator for primary care physicians.