Impact of an algorithm-guided nurse intervention on the use of immunization opportunities.

OBJECTIVE

To determine if a nurse intervention guided by an immunization algorithm was associated with an increased use of immunization opportunities at non-well-child care visits.

DESIGN

A controlled intervention trial of an algorithm-guided nurse intervention during a 5-month period. The use of immunization opportunities at an intervention site was compared with the use at this site during the previous year (the retrospective control group) and with that at a similar pediatric practice during the same period (the concurrent control group).

STUDY POPULATION: Children aged 2 to 60 months at 2 hospital-based pediatric practices that serve children of families with low to moderate incomes in Rochester, NY.

RESULTS

During the study periods, 2814 study children in the 3 groups made 5464 visits for non-well-child care. The use of immunization opportunities for diphtheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine, live oral poliovirus vaccine, and measles-mumps-rubella vaccine at intervention visits was significantly better than at the visits of the retrospective or concurrent control groups (range of odds ratios, 1.9-2.5).

CONCLUSIONS

An algorithm-guided nurse intervention improved the use of immunization opportunities at non-well-child care visits.