Module developed to improve adult vaccination rates

(HealthDay)—A module has been developed to help health care professionals improve vaccination rates among adults, according to an article published by the American Medical Association (AMA).

The AMA STEPS Forward module helps health care professionals save time by creating a team-based approach for an adult immunization program. The module provides physicians with a comprehensive guide for implementing the program within their primary care practice.

The first step of the module is getting the team on board, which includes discussing concerns with medical assistants and other team members and then addressing those concerns. The next steps are training the team, preparing the team to address patient concerns, implementing a standardized process, documenting vaccines given and minimizing the financial risk, and recognizing and rewarding team participation. Once patient consent is given, standing orders and specific processes can streamline the immunization process.

"Addressing [the team's] concerns made it much more effective because staff often had similar concerns as our patients," Marie T. Brown, M.D., a clinician who co-wrote the module and is implementing the program at her own practice, said in the article. "But making sure they knew how important their role was in improving vaccination rates was key."

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