Pnockout Pneumonia Campaign Update

NCAP Partners with The North Carolina Hospital Association to “Pnockout Pneumonia”

An Update November 2017 Ralph H. Raasch, Editor, North Carolina Pharmacist

As a reminder, here are the goals and estimated impact of the Pnockout Pneumonia campaign:

1. Over 2 years (2017-2019), reduce the annual mortality rate for pneumonia from the 2016 North Carolina baseline by 7.5%. Such a reduction would equal the national average for pneumonia mortality of 16.3%. 2. Over 2 years, reduce pneumonia readmissions by 5.4%, which would result in the inclusion of North Carolina Hospitals in the top 25% quartile of hospitals nationally.

The Impact of these Goals on an Annual Basis

1. 1000 North Carolina Lives Saved. 2. 950 Readmissions Prevented. 3. $8,835,000 Saved.

The following link shows the current roster of North Carolina Hospitals that have taken a Pledge to reduce the pneumonia mortality rate and number of hospital readmissions as above: https://www.ncqualitycenter.org/initiatives/ pneumonia-knockout/hospitals-pledged-toknockout-pneumonia/

Important background information regarding the campaign can also be found at: https://www.ncqualitycenter.org/initiatives/ pneumonia-knockout/pneumonia-knockoutcampaign-resources/

The first three months of the campaign have focused on efforts to increase awareness regarding pneumonia mortality and re-admissions in North Carolina. Evidence for the success of these efforts to date has been the pledge commitments made by the many hospitals noted above.

Educational and clinical strategies to accomplish the campaign goals have also begun. The focus of these initial efforts will be for primary care

practitioners and pharmacists. A toolkit has been prepared that focuses on improving statewide pneumococcal vaccination rates. This toolkit follows, with the first part addressing the possible efforts of how providers can participate in the campaign. Multiple resources for both patients and providers are listed in the second part of the toolkit. Pneumococcal Vaccine Timing for Adults – Pocket Guide http://eziz.org/assets/docs/IMM-1152.pd

Immunization Action Coalition http://www.immunize.org

Ways to Participate in the Immunization Campaign:

• Share the resources below with patients/ caregivers and providers. • Contact your local media and share an article on how you’re working to knockout pneumonia in your community. • Use social media to share important facts, signs/symptoms of pneumonia. Also share pictures of your staff, leadership, trustees getting their pneumonia vaccination #pneumoniaknockout • Connect with community partners (Dept. on Aging, Health Depts., Walgreens, Walmart, CVS) to host a pneumonia vaccination clinic.

Resources

Patient Commercial - https://www.youtube. com/watch?v=b1gfs3J_AUE

Are you at risk? Take the assessment! https://www.whopneu.com/

Protect yourself from pneumococcal disease….get vaccinated! http://immunize.org/catg.d/p4412.pdf - English http://immunize.org/catg.d/p4412-01.pdf - Spanish

5 Questions To Ask Your Doctor http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumonia/fivetop-questions-for-dr.html Finally, the campaign has defined the parameters or measures that will be collected in an effort to ascertain whether the major campaign goals are achieved. These strategies for the assessment of mortality and readmissions are included below.

Measurement Strategy: Pneumonia Mortality • Reduction in Number of Deaths due to pneumonia (PNE) diagnosis by facility • Improved accuracy of inpatient admissions coded correctly for PNE • Increase number of hospitals that report review and updated Sepsis Protocols • Assess baseline of hospitals that perform blood cultures on suspected sepsis patients prior to first antibiotic dose administrated • Assess pre-and post-FLU and PNE immunization rates for the nine NC counties with the lowest pneumococcal vaccination rates

Measurement Strategy: Pneumonia Readmissions • Number of PNE 30-day readmissions for reoccurring condition • Number PNE 30-day NH readmissions • Number of PNE HHA 30-day readmissions • Number of facilities who have a readmission risk assessment scoring tool (Hospital, NH, HHA) • Number of appointments made at discharge from hospital with primary care for follow-up within 7 days post discharge • Number of patients who had a follow up visit with primary care provider within 7 days of discharge (CMS Claims) • Number of readmissions who failed due to poor medication management

5 Facts You Should Know About Pneumonia http://www.lung.org/lung-health-and-diseases/lung-disease-lookup/pneumonia/fivefacts-you-should-know.html The first article in these series of updates on this campaign was published in the Summer 2017 edition of North Carolina Pharmacist.