title: Improvement in Herpes Zoster Vaccination in Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Quality Improvement Project.
abstract: To improve herpes zoster (HZ) vaccination rates in high-risk patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) being treated with immunosuppressive therapy.
  
  
  
  This quality improvement project was based on the pre- and post-intervention design. The project targeted all patients with RA over the age of 60 years while being treated with immunosuppressive therapy (not with biologics) seen in 13 rheumatology outpatient clinics. The study period was from July 2012 to June 2013 for the pre-intervention and February 2014 to January 2015 for the post-intervention phase. The electronic best practice alert (BPA) for HZ vaccination was developed; it appeared on electronic medical records during registration and medication reconciliation of the eligible patient by the medical assistant. The BPA was designed to electronically identify patient eligibility and to enable the physician to order the vaccine or to document refusal or deferral reason. Education regarding vaccine guidelines, BPA, vaccination process, and feedback were crucial components of the project interventions. The vaccination rates were compared using the chi-square test.
  
  
  
  We evaluated 1823 and 1554 eligible patients with RA during the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, respectively. The HZ vaccination rates, reported as patients vaccinated among all eligible patients, improved significantly from the pre-intervention period of 10.1% (184/1823) to 51.7% (804/1554) during the intervention phase (p < 0.0001). The documentation rates (vaccine received, vaccine ordered, patient refusal, and deferral reasons) increased from 28% (510/1823) to 72.9% (1133/1554; p < 0.0001). The HZ infection rates decreased significantly from 2% to 0.3% (p = 0.002).
  
  
  
  Electronic identification of vaccine eligibility and BPA significantly improved HZ vaccination rates. The process required minimal modification of clinic work flow and did not burden the physician's time, and has the potential for self-sustainability and generalizability.
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.|H. Sheth, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; L. Moreland, MD, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; H. Peterson, BA, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; R. Aggarwal, MD, MS, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
authors.forename: Heena
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sheth
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.|H. Sheth, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; L. Moreland, MD, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; H. Peterson, BA, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; R. Aggarwal, MD, MS, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
authors.forename: Larry
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Moreland
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA.|H. Sheth, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; L. Moreland, MD, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; H. Peterson, BA, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; R. Aggarwal, MD, MS, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.
authors.forename: Hilary
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Peterson
authors.affiliation: From the Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA. aggarwalr@upmc.edu.|H. Sheth, MD, MPH, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine; L. Moreland, MD, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; H. Peterson, BA, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center; R. Aggarwal, MD, MS, Rheumatology Division, Department of Medicine, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. aggarwalr@upmc.edu.
authors.forename: Rohit
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Aggarwal
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications* / Q000188:drug therapy; D057286:Electronic Health Records; D005260:Female; D006562:Herpes Zoster / Q000150:complications / Q000517:prevention & control*; D053061:Herpes Zoster Vaccine / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D006801:Humans; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010342:Patient Acceptance of Health Care; D058996:Quality Improvement; D014611:Vaccination / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*
chemical_list: D053061:Herpes Zoster Vaccine; D007166:Immunosuppressive Agents
keywords: BEST PRACTICE ALERT; ELECTRONIC MEDICAL RECORD; HERPES ZOSTER; QUALITY IMPROVEMENT; RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS; VACCINATION