New research was presented at AAP 2020, the 2020 American Academy of Pediatrics Virtual National Conference & Exhibition, from October 2-5. The features below highlight some of the studies emerging from the conference that focused on emergency medicine.
With data indicating that only 50% of children are vaccinated for influenza each year and the emergency department (ED) serving as the medical home to many children who are un- or underinsured, researchers sought to improve upon a program that improved immunizations only slightly in the 2018-2018 influenza season at their hospital. A refined protocol identified families who were more vaccine hesitant, included provider and nurse counseling for families, and vaccine storage in ED refrigerators to decrease wait times. The protocol’s electronic health record infrastructure allowed nurses to screen, counsel and refer all children presenting to the ED for flu shots at discharge. When compared with the 2018-2019 flu season, the proportion of children vaccinated increased from 95 to 20% in the 2019-2020 season with the new protocol. Time to discharge for patients was reduced significantly, from 20 minutes to 16 minutes, and the proportion of patients leaving prior to vaccination decreased from 30% to 10%. The vaccine acceptance rate increased from 13% to 22%.
