Not written, not done: are we identifying elderly at-risk patients for pneumococcal vaccination?

BACKGROUND

Pneumococcal disease, especially in its invasive form, is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. However, with the advent of vaccination, invasive disease is potentially avoidable. This study aimed to assess the documentation of pneumococcal vaccination status in elderly patients by healthcare professionals in a busy teaching hospital environment.

METHODS

One hundred and fifty-seven open (active) medical records of inpatients and outpatients aged over 65 years were reviewed, to examine for evidence of documentation of pneumococcal vaccination status.

RESULTS

From the medical records, 338 patient encounters were studied. Overall, there was a mean of 2.4±1.2 indications for pneumococcal vaccination, with more indications in medical than in surgical patients (P=0.04). The rate of recording in respiratory outpatient clinics was 71.4% in comparison to 0% in other medical and surgical outpatient clinics. Overall the documentation rate was 2.1%.

CONCLUSIONS

Only respiratory physicians had demonstrable evidence of actively asking about pneumococcal vaccination on a regular basis. There is considerable need for increased awareness among healthcare professionals and improvement in methods of recording vaccination status.