Impact of communicative and informative strategies on influenza vaccination adherence and absenteeism from work of health care professionals working at the university hospital of palermo, Italy: A quasi-experimental field trial on twelve influenza seasons

Every year, about 20% of health care workers (HCWs) acquire influenza, continuing to work and encouraging virus spreading. Influenza vaccination coverage rates and absenteeism from work among HCWs of the University Hospital (UH) of Palermo were analyzed before and after the implementation of several initiatives in order to increase HCWs’ awareness about influenza vaccination. Vaccines administration within hospital units, dedicated web pages on social media and on the UH of Palermo institutional web site, and mandatory compilation of a dissent form for those HCWs who refused vaccination were carried out during the last four influenza seasons. After the introduction of these strategies, influenza vaccination coverage went up from 5.2% (2014/2015 season) to 37.2% (2018/2019 season) (p<0.001), and mean age of vaccinated HCWs significantly decreased from 48.1 years (95% CI: 45.7–50.5) to 35.9 years (95% CI: 35.0–36.8). A reduction of working days lost due to acute sickness among HCWs of the UH of Palermo was observed. Fear of adverse reactions and not considering themselves as a high-risk group for contracting influenza were the main reasons reported by HCWs that refused vaccination. Strategies undertaken at the UH of Palermo allowed a significant increase in vaccination adherence and a significant reduction of absenteeism from work

Performance measurement in response to the Tallinn Charter: experiences from the decentralized Italian framework.

BACKGROUND: The Italian National Health Plan 2011-2013 expressly recognizes the Tallinn Charter as the most solid international reference for the definition of National priorities. At sub-national level, many regions apply performance monitoring as an integral part of quality improvement policies. METHODS: A national workshop allowed reviewing the state of the art of performance monitoring in Italian regions and Autonomous Provinces in relation to the Tallinn Charter. Participants included representatives of regions and Autonomous Provinces, the National Agency of Regional Health Services, the Italian Ministry of Health and WHO Europe. Six specific questions were used to facilitate brainstorming and to collect updated information. RESULTS: A total of eighteen regions out of twenty-one participated in the meeting. Ten regions were found to use different systems for performance evaluation: two adopting a unique balanced scorecard, two applying different systems for different levels of governance, six using a structured multidimensional system. Different organizational and operational capacities affect the ability to uptake information for policy making. CONCLUSIONS: Italian regions are striving to respond to the collective need of performance improvement, through an increased production of systems of indicators and achievement reports that still need to be made comparable across the country. The Tallinn Charter may provide a common platform to improve and share best practices in performance monitoring. The experience of Italian regions is relevant for the international debate and provides specific responses to general questions that can be usefully applied in other decentralized contexts

Performance measurement in response to the Tallinn Charter: experiences from the decentralized Italian framework.

BACKGROUND: The Italian National Health Plan 2011-2013 expressly recognizes the Tallinn Charter as the most solid international reference for the definition of National priorities. At sub-national level, many regions apply performance monitoring as an integral part of quality improvement policies. METHODS: A national workshop allowed reviewing the state of the art of performance monitoring in Italian regions and Autonomous Provinces in relation to the Tallinn Charter. Participants included representatives of regions and Autonomous Provinces, the National Agency of Regional Health Services, the Italian Ministry of Health and WHO Europe. Six specific questions were used to facilitate brainstorming and to collect updated information. RESULTS: A total of eighteen regions out of twenty-one participated in the meeting. Ten regions were found to use different systems for performance evaluation: two adopting a unique balanced scorecard, two applying different systems for different levels of governance, six using a structured multidimensional system. Different organizational and operational capacities affect the ability to uptake information for policy making. CONCLUSIONS: Italian regions are striving to respond to the collective need of performance improvement, through an increased production of systems of indicators and achievement reports that still need to be made comparable across the country. The Tallinn Charter may provide a common platform to improve and share best practices in performance monitoring. The experience of Italian regions is relevant for the international debate and provides specific responses to general questions that can be usefully applied in other decentralized contexts