title: Educational content and the effectiveness of influenza vaccination reminders.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine if a mailed patient education brochure (addressing demonstrated reasons for vaccination refusal) would result in a higher rate of influenza vaccination than a mailed postcard reminder without educational content.
  
  
  METHODS
  Randomized, controlled trial.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urban, predominantly African-American, low-income community.
  
  
  METHODS
  There were 740 community-dwelling individuals aged 65 years and older in the study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Receipt of influenza vaccination and beliefs about influenza and influenza vaccination were measured by telephone survey self-report.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We successfully contacted 202 individuals (69.9%) who received the postcard reminder and 229 individuals (71.1%) who received the educational brochure. People receiving the educational brochure were more likely to report influenza vaccination during the previous vaccination season than those who received the postcard reminder (66.4% vs 56.9%, p =.04). They also reported more interest in influenza vaccination in the coming year. (66.5% vs 57.1%, p =.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  A mailed educational brochure is more effective than a simple reminder in increasing influenza vaccination rates among inner-city, elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia 19118, USA.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Armstrong
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Berlin
authors.forename: J S
authors.initials: JS
authors.lastname: Schwartz
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Propert
authors.forename: P A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Ubel
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007252:Influenza Vaccines; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D008297:Male; D010353:Patient Education as Topic; D017010:Reminder Systems; D014611:Vaccination
chemical_list: D007252:Influenza Vaccines