Campaign Toolkit

There are missed opportunities for vaccinations in virtually all practice settings. Your team can address these gaps and get more patients appropriately vaccinated by evaluating and modifying your current workflows and protocols. As you refine these immunization processes, consider the following guidance.

Ensure treatment algorithms align with the most current guidelines

Translating the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) immunization schedules into practice can be complex. Leveraging tools such as algorithms can aid staff in the relevant decision-making process for appropriately administering routine adult vaccinations. Evaluate your organization’s existing immunization algorithms to ensure they are up to date with the latest guidance. Consider incorporating treatment algorithms into order sets and provider dashboards to follow guidelines for each patient. If your organization hasn’t adopted an algorithm for a given vaccine, the tools at the bottom of this page offer a place to start.

Refine clinical workflows to address gaps in care

Evaluate your current clinical workflows and operations, taking the entire vaccination process into account, including storage, handling, administration, and documentation. Can you make changes to increase efficiency, efficacy, or patient experience? Some innovative examples of workflow improvements may include:

• Expanding staff responsible for engaging patients in conversations around immunization status (e.g., front-desk staff, staff who room the patients, etc.)
• Engaging staff in daily huddles to review patients with vaccination care gaps
• Standardizing the rooming process to include vaccinations
• Placing vaccine refrigerators or freezers close to patient care areas
• Organizing vaccines so that staff can grab the correct bottle every time
• Leveraging standing orders to empower additional staff to administer vaccinations as appropriate

Take a phased approach to implementation

Achieving change at an organizational level is a gradual process. The following are best practices for creating sustainable change:

• Secure buy-in from relevant stakeholders (e.g., leadership, clinical staff, etc.).
• Identify organizational goals and develop objectives (don’t forget to review your data during this step!).
• Start small, with a pilot project in one department or clinic.
• Spread successful interventions across the organization.
• Gather feedback and capture lessons learned along the way. Resources like the Plan-Do-Study-Act worksheet by the Institute for Healthcare Improvement can help.
• Determine a plan for sustainability.