title: Quality Improvement Project to Reduce Delayed Vaccinations in Preterm Infants.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Preterm infants are especially vulnerable to infectious diseases. Although vaccinations are a safe and effective measure to protect preterm infants from vaccine-preventable diseases, delays in vaccinations are not uncommon.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  The goal of this quality improvement project was to improve on time vaccinations of preterm infants hospitalized in the neonatal intensive care unit.
  
  
  METHODS
  The Plan-Do-Study-Act model of quality improvement was adopted to develop, test, and implement interventions aimed at improving timely vaccination of preterm infants. The primary outcome measure of interest was the rate of on time vaccination, which was defined as the proportion of medically eligible preterm infants who received vaccinations within 2 weeks of the recommended schedule.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Baseline on time vaccination rate was only 36%. Following several Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles, a steady increase in on time vaccinations of eligible infants was observed, and a new baseline on time vaccination rate of 82% was achieved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Simple interventions implemented within the context of Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles are effective in improving timely vaccinations among preterm infants.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Future research that focuses on vaccinations in preterm infants is needed to further reinforce the safety and efficacy of vaccines. Effective methods on how to disseminate and apply this knowledge to practice should also be studied.Video Abstract available at http://links.lww.com/ANC/A27.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Children's Mercy Kansas City and University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Medicine, Kansas City, MO (Dr Cuna); and Department of Pediatrics, Children's of Alabama and University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL (Dr Winter).
authors.forename: Alain
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Cuna
authors.forename: Lindy
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Winter
mesh_terms: D006801:Humans; D007115:Immunization Schedule; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007234:Infant, Premature; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000592:standards; D058996:Quality Improvement / Q000592:standards*; D014611:Vaccination / Q000592:standards*