Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Nurses Through Text Message Reminders : a RCT

Influenza is an important cause of medical visits and worker absenteeism among healthy adults. Studies of healthcare providers vaccination programmes have reported a positive effect in lowering rates of influenza like illness and influenza related complication, hospitalisation and death. Nurses should receive influenza vaccination so that those patients who may come in contact with will not be infected by their nurses. However, the immunization rate among nurses is constantly low. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention programmes to increase immunization of nurses. In some research on electronic text messaging in promoting public health showed potential of this communication system in preventive health behavioural change. With the use of this widely acceptable, accessible and convenient approach of communication, reminders of receiving influenza vaccination are sent to nurses involved in this study. At the same time, educational messages are sent to modify their perception on the positive effect of influenza vaccination, and therefore, motivate the nurses to receive the vaccination. The study will be conducted as a two-arm randomised controlled trial which the control and intervention groups will run concurrently. Nurses of a local hospital are invited to participate in this study. They will receive the usual announcement on the information of free influenza vaccination of the hospital. The participants of the intervention group will also receive text message reminders on details for free influenza vaccine and educational information. All communication occurred through secure, asynchronous electronic text messages. The reminders and educational information are developed with reference to promotion messages from the Department of Health under the framework of Health Belief Model so as to promote positive perception on influenza vaccination by the participants. Participants are invited to complete the pre and post questionnaires before and after the study period. The influenza vaccination status of the participants and their perception on influenza vaccination will be obtained. It is hypothesised that the participants receiving the reminders and educational information will more likely to receive influenza vaccine and perceived the influenza vaccination as important measure in protecting them from influenza. The participants of the intervention group will also receptive to electronic text messaging communication and education.