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Effects of the Design and Practice of Points-of-Dispensing on Patient-Reported Satisfaction: Municipal H1N1 Clinics in Rhode Island

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  08 April 2013

David A. Balbi  and
Kristen Calcagni
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Abstract

Objectives: The primary objective of the study was to understand the public's perception of the effectiveness of Rhode Island's public health emergency response plans by using municipal H1N1 vaccination clinics conducted in Rhode Island in January and February 2010 as a basis for public reaction. The effect of previous exercises on public perception was also examined.

Method: A survey of 926 H1N1 vaccination clinic attendees was conducted via mail during the period between March 18 and May 1, 2010.

Results: A total of 579 surveys were returned, rendering a response rate of 62.5%. The majority of clinic attendees traveled ≤10 mi to the vaccination clinic (90.48%). The average self-reported wait time inside the clinic was 19.16 minutes, and 69.84% of respondents expected to have waited longer before attending the clinic. The self-reported wait time was negatively correlated with patient-reported overall clinic satisfaction. A total of 98.08% of respondents believed that the signage used at the clinics was easy to follow, 100% of respondents believed that the clinic staff was courteous and respectful, and 82.35% of respondents reported that they would rate the clinic they attended as excellent.

Conclusions: Rhode Islanders prefer local public health service sites. There was a minor difference in the overall satisfaction of respondents who attended municipal clinics that had exercised emergency plans before activation for H1N1 vaccinations and those municipalities that had not previously exercised. The lack of difference between the practicing and nonpracticing points-of-dispensing may be caused by the standardization of municipal emergency plans, uniformity in the guidance and support of each clinic provided by the Rhode Island Department of Health, and municipalities that had not previously exercised had the opportunity to observe those that had exercised. Having thorough mass dispensing plans in place in advance of a public health emergency is as important as having exercised a point-of-dispensing before a real-world activation.

(Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2011;5:106–111)

Keywords

influenza A virus, H1N1 subtypepatient satisfactionRhode Islandpublic health emergenciesmass immunizationpublic health clinicsambulatory carehealth services accessibilitygeographic locationquality of health carepoints-of-dispensingvaccinations
Type
Original Research
Information
Disaster Medicine and Public Health Preparedness , Volume 5 , Issue 2 , June 2011 , pp. 106 - 111
Copyright
Copyright © Society for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, Inc. 2011

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References

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