title: A health plan intervention to improve pneumococcal vaccination in the elderly.
abstract: In 1998, the Hawaii Medical Service Association, headquartered in Honolulu, partnered with a pharmaceutical manufacturer to promote pneumococcal immunization of its 33,017 Medicare cost-contract members. They disseminated newsletter articles, magazine advertisements, letters, posters, and broadcast announcements; held injection clinics; and provided physicians reminder postcards with patient labels. Medicare claims indicated that immunization rose by 13.3% in 1997, 20.7% in 1998, and 42.3% in 2000, exceeding rates in a fee-for-service control group. Moreover, the rate of hospitalization for pneumococcal pneumonia dropped after 1998. The data suggest that multimodal promotion of pneumococcal vaccine will result in more extensive immunization and less frequent hospitalization.
authors.affiliation: Integrated Healthcare Association in Walnut Creek, California, USA.
authors.forename: Dolores M
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Yanagihara
authors.forename: Deborah A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Taira
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Davis
authors.forename: Krista A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Gronley
authors.forename: Charlotte
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Marciel
authors.forename: Eugene
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tice
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D003299:Cooperative Behavior; D006254:Hawaii; D006801:Humans; D017589:Immunization Programs / Q000458:organization & administration / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008329:Managed Care Programs / Q000458:organization & administration; D006278:Medicare / Q000458:organization & administration; D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D011018:Pneumonia, Pneumococcal / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D022242:Pneumococcal Vaccines