Assesssing an unmet healthcare demand: A survey of immunisation among homecare patients and their caregivers

Publication date: 14 March 2018
Source:Vaccine, Volume 36, Issue 12
Author(s): Süleyman Görpelioğlu, Canan Emiroğlu, Özlem Suvak, Cenk Aypak, Derya Akbıyık
Susceptibility of the homecare patient to vaccine preventable infections and their complications is high. Hospitalization of this patient group increases costs to the healthcare system. Therefore vaccination services are of great importance for protecting these patients from complications and hospitalization. We aimed to determine vaccination status of the patients receiving home care services from a tertiary hospital in Turkey and to reveal their vaccination needs.This cross sectional study was carried out in the Division of Home Care Services of Dışkapı Yıldırım Beyazıt Training and Research Hospital in Ankara Turkey. A questionnaire Comprised of 15 questions were administered through face to face with 336 patients and their care givers. The data obtained was analyzed with descriptive statistical methods and chi-squared test was used for comparison of proportions.A total of 86.3% of the patients and 22.6% of the caregivers were older than age 65. Approximately 45% of the patients were receiving home care due to primary neurological diagnosis such as Dementia, Parkinson's disease and Cerebrovascular Accident. In addition, 78% of the patients had at least 1 additional diagnosis other than their primary diagnosis.Although immunization indications were present among all patients included in the study and at least 22% of the care providers, only 15.2% of patients and 11.3% of care providers had been recommended to receive vaccination. Among those who had been recommended to get vaccinated, 74% of patients and 77% of care givers had been administered the recommended vaccine. This finding implied that both groups were responsive to the advice for vaccination. Moreover, since the patients receiving home care are already followed-up by a healthcare team, thus these patients can be vaccinated with very little additional logistic support.



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