Improving influenza vaccination rates for pediatric asthmatics by use of an asthma educational tool and a patient electronic care system.

A prescription-sized asthma educational tool (AET) was used to identify, assess, and educate pediatric asthma patients during a 2-year period. A Patient Electronic Care System (PECS) was used to register these patients over 2 influenza vaccination seasons to determine whether influenza vaccination rates could be improved among these pediatric asthmatics by use of the asthma educational tool. During this study, influenza vaccination rates among all asthmatics increased over 450% from 2003 to 2004 influenza season compared with 2006 to 2007 influenza season (13.1%-59.4%). The mild persistent to severe persistent asthmatics subgroup in this pool of patients also improved their influenza vaccination rates over 250% from the 2003 to 2004 influenza season to the 2006 to 2007 influenza season (36.6%-91.7%). All the results were statistically significant to 95% confidence levels.