Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunizations
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Project Status: Completed
National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunizations
Access the Final Report: National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunizations
The Opportunity
In order to achieve universal immunization for all those who need them, greater emphasis on adult immunizations across providers and sites of care is needed. Currently, there are NQF-endorsed® immunization measures in ambulatory, hospital, and nursing home care. Immunization measures also are under consideration for dialysis facilities. In order to identify gaps in appropriate immunization at the appropriate junctures, further work is needed to adopt more global, harmonized measures of immunization. The opportunity to increasingly link measurement across providers and sites of care will form the foundation for a systems-based perspective on immunization and the reduction or elimination of preventable illnesses and pneumonia
Statistics
There are many missed opportunities across the health care system, including physician practices, hospitals, nursing homes, and home care, where immunizations could have prevented serious illness and unnecessary and costly hospitalizations for pneumonia and influenza. Estimated flu vaccination coverage remains <50% among certain groups for whom routine annual vaccination is recommended.1
About the Project
This project was completed in December 2008.
Results
This project endorsed three national voluntary consensus standards that are based on current guidelines. These standards, vetted by numerous healthcare stakeholders, comprise a uniform approach to measurement across settings and populations. The results of the project are published in the NQF consensus report, National Voluntary Consensus Standards for Influenza and Pneumococcal Immunizations.
Process
This project, like all NQF activities, involves the active participation of representatives from across the spectrum of healthcare stakeholders. The project is guided by a Steering Committee. Agreement around the recommendations will be developed through NQF's formal Consensus Development Process (CDP, version 1.8). This project involves the active participation of representatives from across the spectrum of healthcare stakeholders and is guided by a steering committee.
Funding
Funding for this project was provided by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
Related NQF Work
Safe Practices for Better Healthcare 2009 update
Contact Information
For more information, contact Karen B. Pace at 202.783.1300 or info@qualityforum.org.
Notes
1. Prevention and Control of Influenza, Recommendations of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), 2007. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5606a1.htm.
In order to ensure that healthcare workers are protected from the diseases they are expected to treat, NQF undertook an effort to achieve voluntary consensus on performance measures for immunizations to prevent seasonal influenza and pneumococcal disease across healthcare settings in the United States. This report, the product of that effort, presents three national voluntary consensus standards that are based on current guidelines. These standards, vetted by numerous healthcare stakeholders, comprise a uniform approach to measurement across settings and population.
The project Steering Committee, representing the full range of stakeholder perspectives, was formed following the process set forth in NQF's Consensus Development Process. Nominations were accepted from October 8 through November 7.
Steering Committee Roster
NQF received 15 new measures to review for potential endorsement as national voluntary consensus standards. The steering committee also reconsidered 12 already endorsed measures, in case of duplication. Submissions were accepted from October 8 through November 7.
Table of Submitted Measures
The Steering Committee met in person and by conference call numerous times from November 2007 through March 2008. They reviewed all submissions and communicated with measure developers as needed to determine the measures to recommend for endorsement. Following this review period, the recommended measures were made available for public and member comment.
A draft report and supporting materials were made available prior to the voting period. The voting draft report has been superceded by the final report.
The CSAC review occurred at its in-person meeting on July 17, 2008. Three measures were recommended to the Board as national voluntary consensus standards.
The NQF Board of Directors endorsed the three measures for influenza and pneumococcal immunization recommended by CSAC.
Final Report
Press Release
