EasyPI: Adult Immunizations

Utilize all or some of these resources to get you ready for your project.

Overview

• Immunizations & Vaccine Resources (American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP))
• Best Content on Child and Adult Immunizations (American Family Physician)
• Immunize.org
• Vaccine Types (Health and Human Services)

Vaccine Confidence

• Improving Vaccine Confidence

Increasing Vaccination Rates

• Conversations: Improving Adult Immunizations Rates Using Simple and Strong Recommendations (AAFP)
• Increasing Adult Immunization Rates Among African American Communities: A PI CME Activity (AAFP)
• Improving Adult Immunization Rates within Racial and Ethnic Minority Communities (Family Practice Management)
• Strategies for Increasing Adult Vaccination Rates (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC))
• Reminder Systems and Strategies for Increasing Adult Vaccination Rates (CDC)

Outcomes

• ABFM National Journal Club: “Association of Maternal Influenza Vaccination During Pregnancy With Early Childhood Health Outcomes” (note: you will need to log into your MyABFM portfolio to access)

Billing/Coding

• Family Practice Management Articles on Vaccination

Community Resources

Local and state health departments can help with vaccination and vaccination resources. Contact your local health department for more information (Ohio physicians can search for theirs on the ODH website). Pharmacies can vaccinate patients in many locations. Consider working with local pharmacies to obtain information about your patients who have been vaccinated, or vaccinate patients when your practice is not able to vaccinate them.

The following resources are links to guidelines for Adult Immunizations:

• Vaccines & Immunizations (CDC)
• Standards for Adult Immunization Practice (CDC)

• Shots Immunizations App (AAFP)
• Standing Orders Templates for Administering Vaccines (immunize.org)

• Patient Information (FamilyDoctor.org)
• Vaccine Information Statements (CDC)
• Patient Information (Immunization.org)

• Improve patient outcomes and help meet quality metrics
• Achieve team-based practice change
• Make your practice more efficient
• Boost team morale
• Improve revenue.

These materials will guide you through identifying areas for improvement, understanding and using data, planning and making changes, and tracking performance over time.

Choose the tools to help you and your team have a successful PI project.

• Quality Improvement Essentials Toolkit (Institute for Healthcare Improvement)
• AAFP TIPS Quality Improvement (Train your team on the benefits, concepts, and steps of the quality improvement process to enhance the care you provide.)

Quality Measures & Intervention Selection

• Explanation of Quality Measure Selection and Sample Interventions
• Example PDSA Cycle
  

Process Mapping
Workflow & process mapping creates a visual map of the steps your practice currently uses for a specific patient care or administrative task.

Benefits of process mapping include allowing the entire team to visualize and appreciate what role/contribution they and their colleagues play in the care of patients; gives an overview of the current processes that allows the team to plan for change; identifies unintended variations in care, inefficient procedures, and opportunities to involve other team members in care; improves communication between team members; gives team members increased ownership in patient care; and can increase employee job satisfaction.

View an outline of the mapping process and the following instructional video on the process:

Data Collection

• Data Collection Information & Tips
  

Health Equity/Population Health Resource

• The EveryONE Project Toolkit (AAFP)

Now that you’ve collected data, implemented change, and have your outcomes, it’s time to submit your project for credit! Family physicians will use the ABFM’s Self-Directed Performance Improvement (PI) Project pathway to do so.

• You may report a project conducted alone or within a single practice group, an ACO, or other larger group practices
• You can use this pathway whether you see patients in a continuity setting, or if you are providing non-continuity episodic care (e.g., hospitalist, telemedicine, locums, urgent care, emergency department, etc.).

Log into your MyABFM Portfolio to access this PI activity. To help you through the process of applying for credit, here is sample application to review to make sure you have all of the information you will need, and below is video guide that walks you through each step.

Once you’ve submitted your application and it has been approved (may take up to 10 days for approval), you will fulfill an ABFM certification requirement and you will have earned 20 ABFM points and 20 American Academy of Family Physicians Prescribed CME credits.

We’d love to hear how this process was for you and what impact you had on patient care by completing your PI activity. Let us know in a post-survey.

If you have any questions regarding your PI activity requirement for the ABFM or if you have any issues with your application, please contact Ann Williamson at the ABFM. You can also visit the OAFP’s ABFM Certification webpage for more information on all things ABFM!