Monday April 9, 2012
The average flu vaccination rate among nursing home residents
nationwide was 72 percent during the 2005-2006 flu season. This was
well below the Healthy People 2010 goal of 90 percent. A new study
found that black nursing home residents have lower flu vaccination
rates than their white counterparts. It found that over three
consecutive flu seasons (2006-07, 2007-08, and 2008-09), the odds
of being vaccinated were 14-16 percent lower for blacks than for
whites within the same facility.This difference persisted even
after excluding residents who were either offered but declined
vaccination, or were vaccinated outside the facility.
The Brown University researchers also found that nursing homes
with high proportions of black residents had lower vaccination
rates for both blacks and whites than did facilities with lower
proportions of black residents. These facilities generally have a
high proportion of Medicaid residents. Therefore, they have less
revenue and fewer opportunities to cross-subsidize care with income
from more profitable Medicare and private-pay patients.
The researchers suggest that low revenue, insufficient staffing,
and poor-quality performance may all contribute to the lower
vaccination rates in these facilities. They also point out that
blacks are consistently more likely than whites to refuse flu
vaccinations when offered. To completely eliminate racial
differences in flu vaccination rates, educational programs that
focus on elderly blacks and their families may be necessary,
suggest the researchers. Their study was supported in part by the
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (HS16094).
Source: Agency for Healthcare Research and
Quality http://www.ahrq.gov/research/apr12/0412RA23.htm