%0 Journal Article
%T A Time Off Incentive Was Not Associated with Influenza Vaccination Acceptance among Healthcare Workers
%A Saima Cheema
%A Christopher Vinnard
%A Sarah Foster-Chang
%A Darren R. Linkin
%J Influenza Research and Treatment
%D 2013
%I Hindawi Publishing Corporation
%R 10.1155/2013/209491
%X Objectives. The national influenza vaccination rate among healthcare workers (HCWs) remains low despite clear benefits to patients, coworkers, and families. We sought to evaluate formally the effect of a one-hour time off incentive on attitudes towards influenza vaccination during the 2011-2012 influenza season. Methods. All HCWs at the Philadelphia Veterans Affairs (VA) Medical Center were invited to complete an anonymous web-based survey. We described respondentsĄŻ characteristics and attitudes toward influenza vaccination and determined the relationship of specific attitudes with respondentsĄŻ acceptance of influenza vaccination, using a 5-point Likert scale. Results. We analyzed survey responses from 154 HCWs employed at the Philadelphia VA Medical Center, with a response rate of 8%. Among 121 respondents who reported receiving influenza vaccination, 34 (28%, 95% CI 20¨C37%) reported agreement with the statement that the time off incentive made a difference in their decision to accept influenza vaccination. Conclusions. Our study provides evidence that modest incentives such as one-hour paid time off will be unlikely to promote influenza vaccination rates within medical facilities. More potent interventions that include mandatory vaccination combined with penalties for noncompliance will likely provide the only means to achieve near-universal influenza vaccination among HCWs. 1. Background The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) and the Healthcare Infection Control Practices Advisory Committee recommend that all HCWs be vaccinated annually against influenza [1]. Vaccination of HCWs against influenza has been shown to prevent transmission of influenza to patients [2, 3], coworkers [4], and families [5]. Despite these benefits, the national influenza vaccination rate among HCWs remains low [6]. Vaccination uptake is limited by concerns regarding vaccine safety and efficacy and misconceptions regarding the perceived risk of nosocomial transmission of influenza [7]. Late in the 2010-2011 influenza season, we instituted a novel incentive to promote influenza vaccination, providing one-hour paid time off immediately following receipt of vaccination, and we achieved our target vaccination rate soon after this incentive program was begun. Based on this experience at our medical facility, we sought to evaluate formally the effect of this time off incentive on attitudes towards influenza vaccination during the 2011-2012 influenza season. We hypothesized that HCWs who had received the influenza vaccine would report a more favorable attitude
%U http://www.hindawi.com/journals/irt/2013/209491/