Applying the AFIX Quality Improvement Model to Increase Adult Immunization in Wisconsin

Objectives: Assessment, Feedback, Incentives, and eXchange (AFIX) is a quality improvement model used to increase childhood and adolescent immunization rates in the United States. We evaluated implementation of a similar quality improvement model to boost adult immunization rates.

Methods: During November 2016 through May 2017, adult immunization outreach specialists conducted 124 in-person visits to clinics in Wisconsin that immunize adults, submit immunization information to the Wisconsin Immunization Registry (WIR), and agreed to participate in adult AFIX. Outreach specialists ran immunization assessment reports using the WIR and showed a paper copy of the report during the visit. Health care providers were encouraged to implement at least 1 of 18 strategies (eg, reminder-and-recall intervention, giving adult immunization resources to patients) to increase adult immunization rates. Outreach specialists conducted follow-up with health care providers at 3, 6, and 9-18 months after the initial visit to encourage strategy implementation. We compared AFIX sites with control clinics on practice type, geographic location, and clinic size.

Results: Clinics that participated in adult AFIX had a significantly larger increase in median adult immunization rates for completion of the human papillomavirus vaccine series at the 9- to 18-month follow-up than control clinics did (10.4% vs 7.7%; = .02). The median immunization rate for 13-valent pneumococcal conjugate vaccine/23-valent pneumococcal polysaccharide vaccine completed in series was higher, but not significantly so, among adult AFIX clinics than among control clinics (12.6% vs 10.7%; = .18).

Conclusions: Adult AFIX resulted in increased awareness about adult immunization recommendations and may be a useful tool for increasing adult immunization rates.