Tranter Isaac, Judd Deborah, Stickley Mark, Vasant Bhakti, Pollard Gayle, Swindells Courtney, Anuradha Satyamurthy
Metro South Public Health Unit, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia; University of Queensland, Faculty of Medicine, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Metro South Public Health Unit, Metro South Hospital and Health Service, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia.
Vaccine. 2025 Feb 27;48:126742. doi: 10.1016/j.vaccine.2025.126742. Epub 2025 Jan 17.
Vaccination coverage against COVID-19 and influenza among Australian aged care residents remains suboptimal, placing this vulnerable population at heightened risk of severe illness, frailty, and death. Health care professionals' recommendations significantly influence vaccination uptake. Aged care staff, with their unique proximity to residents, play a pivotal role in promoting vaccination.
The aims of this study were to evaluate the acceptance of a vaccine education project and determine the impact on vaccine conversation confidence.
This quality improvement project aimed to enhance aged care staff's knowledge and confidence in discussing vaccination with residents and their families. It included a 30-min face-to-face educational session for staff members of residential aged care facilities. The session featured a didactic component on COVID-19 and influenza vaccines, an interactive question and answer component, and role-play exercises to demonstrate effective vaccine conversation skills. Evaluation of the project involved participant survey data collected immediately after the sessions and then again at a delayed timepoint. Project developers, co-ordinators, and facilitators also provided feedback on their experience which was analysed through qualitative thematic analysis.
The educational program was delivered to 27 facilities across 32 sessions, with 316 staff members attending (median session attendance: 9, IQR 8-13). 95.4 % of attendees reported improved knowledge and skills, 95.8 % reported increased confidence in vaccine conversations, and 94.2 % would recommend the session to others. Qualitative feedback was positive, highlighting the adequacy of content and improved confidence in discussing vaccines.
In-house, face-to-face education is a well-received method of delivering education to residential aged care staff. However, facilities in most need of education may be less proactive in seeking it out. Further research is needed to understand barriers to uptake of staff education and strategies for fostering a culture of quality improvement and ongoing learning within facilities.
