Performance measures, vaccinations, and pneumonia rates among high-risk patients in Veterans Administration health care.

OBJECTIVES

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccinations reduce morbidity, mortality, and health care costs, but their use lags behind goals set by public health experts. We evaluated the effect of a performance measurement program instituted by the Veterans Health Administration in 1995 to improve vaccination rates.

METHODS

We used cross-sectional chart-abstracted data to calculate influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates among eligible patients, and administrative data to calculate pneumonia admission rates. We compared vaccination and hospitalization rates before and after the institution of the performance measurement program with rates outside the Veterans Health Administration.

RESULTS

Influenza and pneumococcal vaccination rates for eligible patients rose from 27% and 28% during 1994 to 1995 to 70% and 85%, respectively, by 2003 (P for trend<.001). Geographic and other variations were substantially reduced. During this time, pneumonia hospitalization rates decreased by 50% among elderly Veterans Health Administration enrollees but increased among Medicare enrollees by 15% (P for differences in trend<.001).

CONCLUSIONS

The performance measurement program was associated with increases in vaccination rates, reduced variation, and reduced pneumonia admissions. Health systems instituting similarly effective programs may substantially improve the quality of their clinical health care.