With the reopening of international borders and reduced COVID-19 restrictions, influenza is now circulating in the community for the first time in over 2 years.
Hospital and laboratory surveillance shows influenza activity in the community is increasing rapidly, leading to an early start to the winter influenza season. This is on top of continuing COVID-19 cases.
The team at South West Rocks’ Seascape Medical Centre has made a commitment to quality improvement, with a focus to ‘help protect the community against influenza and its complications.’
As practice manager Wafaa Malak explains, ‘Our health system has already been stretched over the last 2 years to try to fight COVID-19, and as we see the decline of COVID cases and the increase of the number of influenza infections in the community, we are endeavouring to target it and try to contain its spread.’
To support the undertaking, Seascape Medical Centre has signed up to Primary Care Impact activity, Improve recording of influenza immunisation for patients with COPD, diabetes and 65+.
‘Our practice is working on ensuring all our patients, especially the over 65s, the young, and vulnerable patients are given the opportunity to be immunised against influenza,’ Ms Malak said. ‘Our nurses are working together with the doctors to ensure we cover all who are at risk.
’As part of our plan, we have registered for QI targeting measures 4, 5 and 6 to check patients who are immunised against influenza 65 years-plus, patients with diabetes, patients 15 years-plus with COPD.
‘The nurse generates the list of patients who are not immunised and works through the list to ensure everyone is given the opportunity to receive the vaccine. A whole-of-team approach is taken to promote and encourage the uptake of free influenza vaccination for eligible patients at every opportunity, and recording if patients have declined.
‘Over the last month we have seen a slight improvement on measures 4 and 6, which is encouraging. We will continue to work on these measures to help in preventing any outbreak.’
Well done to the team at Seascape Medical Centre!
At Healthy North Coast, we love to hear about local quality improvement initiatives. To share your QI endeavours and success stories, visit Primary Care Impact and submit a feedback form or a PDSA on your chosen QI activity.