title: Validity of self-reported influenza and pneumococcal vaccination status among a cohort of hospitalized elderly inpatients.
abstract: Use of self-reported vaccination status is commonplace in assessing vaccination coverage for public health programs and individuals, yet limited validity data exist. We compared self-report with provider records for pneumococcal (23vPPV) and influenza vaccine for 4887 subjects aged>or=65 years from two Australian hospitals. Self-reported influenza vaccination status had high sensitivity (98%), positive predictive value (PPV) (88%) and negative predictive value (NPV) (91%), but low specificity (56%). Self-reported 23vPPV (previous 5 years) had a sensitivity of 84%, specificity 77%, PPV 85% and NPV 76%. Clinicians can be reasonably confident of self-reported influenza vaccine status, and for positive self-report for 23vPPV in this setting. For program evaluation, self-reported influenza vaccination coverage among inpatients overestimates true coverage by about 10% versus 1% for 23vPPV. Self-report remains imperfect and whole-of-life immunisation registers a preferable goal.
authors.affiliation: Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Royal Children's Hospital, Flemington Road, Parkville, Victoria 3052, Australia. saskull@unimelb.edu.au
authors.forename: Susan A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Skull
authors.forename: Ross M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Andrews
authors.forename: Graham B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Byrnes
authors.forename: Heath A
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Kelly
authors.forename: Terence M
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Nolan
authors.forename: Graham V
authors.initials: GV
authors.lastname: Brown
authors.forename: Donald A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Campbell
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007251:Influenza, Human / Q000517:prevention & control*; D007297:Inpatients; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011008:Pneumococcal Infections / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*