title: Notification about influenza vaccination in Belgium: a  descriptive study of how people want to be informed.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Influenza causes a substantial socioeconomic burden. In Belgium, only 54% of the target group receives an annual  vaccination. Patient reminder/recall systems are effective in improving vaccination rates in primary care, but little is known about patients'  preferences on notification of influenza vaccination.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate whether general practice patients wish to be notified of the possibility of receiving influenza immunisation, and how.
  
  
  METHODS
  In January 2008, 750 questionnaires were handed out to all consecutive patients aged >18 years in three Belgian general  practices. Main outcome measures were the percentage wanting to be notified, demographic and medical factors influencing the  information needs of the patients and the specific way in which patients wanted to be notified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  About 80% of respondents wanted to be notified of the possibility of influenza vaccination. Logistic regression analysis showed  that those who had previously been vaccinated particularly wished to be notified, both in the total population (OR 4.45; 95% CI 2.87 to  6.90; p<0.0001) and in the subgroup of high-risk individuals (OR 9.05; 95% CI 4.47 to 18.33; p<0.0001). More than 85% of the  participants wanted to be informed by their family physician, mostly during a consultation regardless of the reason for the encounter. The  second most preferred option was a letter sent by the family physician enclosing a prescription.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The majority of general practice patients want to be notified of the possibility of influenza vaccination. More than 85% of  participants who wanted to be notified preferred to receive this information from their family physician, mostly by personal  communication during a regular visit. However, since a large minority preferred to be addressed more proactively (letter, telephone call,  e-mail), GPs should be encouraged to combine an opportunistic approach with a proactive one.
authors.affiliation: Department of Family Practice, Dutch-speaking University of Brussels, Brussels, Belgium. ivrossem@vub.ac.be
authors.forename: Inès
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Van Rossem
authors.forename: Jan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vandevoorde
authors.forename: Ronald
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Buyl
authors.forename: Sander
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Deridder
authors.forename: Dirk
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Devroey
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001530:Belgium; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D057240:Patient Preference; D017010:Reminder Systems; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D014611:Vaccination