Kumar S, Scheffler S, Singleton S, Lawrence M
Dept of Quality, Louisiana Health Care Review, Inc., Baton Rouge, USA.
J La State Med Soc. 1996 Oct;148(10):423-9.
Influenza is a disease, especially in the elderly, with potentially serious health and fiscal consequences. Vaccines, even though available and proven to be efficacious for prevention, appear to be underutilized in the Medicare population. This paper highlights influenza immunization rates from 1993-1995 for Louisiana Medicare eligible beneficiaries served by Louisiana providers. The authors discuss some of the current efforts underway to increase the number of influenza vaccinations. This was a retrospective study of claims based data on Medicare beneficiaries in Louisiana. Rates were also compared to other states from published Health Care Financing Administration data over the study period. In Louisiana, from 1993-1995, approximately 31% of Medicare beneficiaries age 65 years or older received an influenza vaccination that was paid for by Health Care Financing Administration. This finding indicates an attainment of half of the Department of Health and Human Services Year 2000 goal of 60% influenza immunization rate. The rate for Medicare African-American beneficiaries was approximately one half that of Caucasian beneficiaries. Overall, the billing data indicated that female beneficiaries received influenza immunization slightly more often than male. Medicare beneficiaries aged 75 to 84 years were immunized proportionally more than other age groups. The age group with the smallest percentage of immunized beneficiaries was 85 years or older. These results and rates obtained from the National Health Information Survey and Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System for the state collectively indicate marked opportunity for improvement in immunization rates for the State of Louisiana. Health care providers can assist and play an integral role in interventions designed to impact on this vulnerable population in order to meet the Department of Health and Human Services Year 1996 overall goal of 56% influenza immunization rate for all persons age 65 years or older.
流感是一种疾病，对老年人而言尤其如此，可能会带来严重的健康和财政后果。疫苗虽然有且已被证明对预防有效，但在医疗保险人群中似乎未得到充分利用。本文重点介绍了1993年至1995年路易斯安那州医疗保险合格受益人（由路易斯安那州的医疗服务提供者服务）的流感疫苗接种率。作者讨论了目前为增加流感疫苗接种数量所做的一些努力。这是一项基于路易斯安那州医疗保险受益人的索赔数据的回顾性研究。研究期间，还将该州的接种率与已公布的医疗保健财务管理局数据中的其他州进行了比较。在路易斯安那州，1993年至1995年期间，约31%的65岁及以上医疗保险受益人接种了由医疗保健财务管理局支付费用的流感疫苗。这一发现表明达到了卫生与公众服务部2000年60%流感疫苗接种率目标的一半。医疗保险非裔美国受益人接种率约为白人受益人的一半。总体而言，计费数据表明女性受益人接种流感疫苗的频率略高于男性。75至84岁的医疗保险受益人接种比例高于其他年龄组。接种受益人比例最小的年龄组是85岁及以上。这些结果以及从该州的国家健康信息调查和行为风险因素监测系统获得的接种率共同表明，路易斯安那州的疫苗接种率有显著的提升空间。医疗服务提供者可以在旨在影响这一弱势群体的干预措施中发挥协助作用并扮演不可或缺的角色，以实现卫生与公众服务部1996年的总体目标，即65岁及以上所有人的流感疫苗接种率达到56%。
