Clear Impact logo

P003: Epidemiology Response Division (FY18)

P003: Percent of New Mexico adults aged 65 years and older who have ever received a pneumococcal vaccination

Current Value

72.6%

2016

Definition

Line Bar

Story Behind the Curve

  • Pneumonia causes significant illness in older adults 65 years and older and is responsible for approximately 60,000 deaths each year in the US. The 2016 estimate of pneumococcal vaccination coverage among adults ≥65 years of age for New Mexico (NM) was 72.6%.
  • Older adults are more susceptible to developing pneumonia and should receive the pneumococcal (pneumonia) vaccines. Many adults feel that they do not need vaccinations, or worry about side effects from the vaccine itself, but older adults are at higher risk of complications, including hospitalization and death.
  • Immunization rates among older adults in NM can be attributed to public and provider education, evidence- and expert-based recommendations and universal payment for the vaccines for Medicare and Medicaid recipients.
  • A temporary set back in resources limited the following activities this quarter; the promotion of pneumococcal vaccine to the recommended populations, engagement of internal and external stakeholders, and assessment of policies and legislation that support evidence-based practices for improving rates (e.g., standing orders).
  • in FY19 NMDOH will continue to maximize leverage with other NMDOH divisions to collaborate with various external partners including but not limited to: the New Mexico Hospital Association, New Mexico Long-Term Care association and the University of New Mexico.  NMDOH will also begin identifying opportunities and  solutions to obstacles for capturing immunization data in New Mexico Statewide Immunization Information System (NMSIIS) at hospitals where the immunizations are administered.

Partners

  • NMDOH
  • University of New Mexico
  • New Mexico Immunization Coalition
  • Office of the Medical Investigator
  • NM Association for Professionals in Infection Control & Epidemiology
  • Regional Health Promotion Teams
  • Local school districts and schools
  • Local hospital infection control practitioners
  • Indian Health Service (IHS)
  • Albuquerque Area Southwest Tribal Epidemiology Center
  • Navajo Epidemiology Center
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

What Works

  • Promoting uptake of pneumococcal vaccine among adults ≥65 years of age.
  • Making available standing orders for nurses to administer vaccines as recommended without a physician order.
  • Providing vaccination in non-traditional settings where elders congregate (e.g., churches, senior centers).
  • Implementing and operationalizing House Bill 274 (HB274), which requires hospitals to offer pneumococcal vaccine to all adults >65 years of age prior to hospital discharge

Strategy

  • Measure the percent of adults ≥65 years of age who receive pneumococcal vaccine.
  • Measure the impact of HB274 over time to see if more elders are receiving pneumococcal vaccine in hospitals prior to discharge.
  • Link New Mexico State Immunization Information System to health system data to capture vaccination history among elders in New Mexico.

Action Plan

The Epidemiology and Response Division, Infectious Disease Epidemiology Bureau (IDEB) will work to increase the percentage of New Mexico adults aged 65 years and older who have ever received a pneumococcal vaccination. The FY18 target is 75% of the population over 65 years.

  • Q1: In cooperation with the New Mexico Hospital Association (NMHA) and the NMDOH Division of Health Improvement (DHI), begin identifying solutions to the obstacles for capturing immunization data in NMSIIS at hospitals where the immunizations are administered. Completed at the quarterly Healthcare-Associated Infections Advisory Committee (HAI AC) Meeting, HealthInsight New Mexico.
  • Q2: Provide training to the Health care Aquired Infections Advisory Council, to include representatives from NMHA and DHI, on accessing and entering data in NMSIIS. Completed.
  • Q3: Engage NMHA and IHS in discussion about hospital-based standing orders. Incomplete.
  • Q4: Make sure that all hospitals in New Mexico have standing orders for pneumococcal and influenza vaccines in place. Incomplete.

FY18 Annual Progress Summary

Despite setbacks there have been great achievements in terms of proceeding work planned for FY19. Some work is still ongoing and will improve the outcomes for some milestones for FY18. 

Clear Impact Suite is an easy-to-use, web-based software platform that helps your staff collaborate with external stakeholders and community partners by utilizing the combination of data collection, performance reporting, and program planning.

Scorecard Container Measure Action Actual Value Target Value Tag S A m/d/yy m/d/yyyy