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Publications

Clinical Trial Journal Article Epublish

PubMed: 39949559 DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2025.1490244

Digital integration between hospitals and local health authorities for enhanced vaccination coverage among frail patients: the CareVax study protocol.

Front Public Health 13:1490244

Authors: Alberto Lontano, Luca Regazzi, Diego Maria Tona, Matteo Di Pumpo, Martina Porcelli, Maria Gabriella Cacciuttolo, Paolo Parente, Antonio Gasbarrini, Giuseppe Grandaliano, Nicola Panocchia, Loris Lopetuso, Tina Pasciuto, Chiara Cadeddu, Stefania Bruno, Patrizia Laurenti, Domenico Pascucci, Roberta Pastorino

Affiliations

  • Section of Hygiene, University Department of Health Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
  • Local Health Authority ASL Roma 1, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Translational Medicine and Surgery, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Research Core Facility Data Collection G-STeP, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Erasmus School of Health Policy & Management, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, Netherlands.
  • Section of Hygiene, University Department of Health Sciences and Public Health, Faculty of Medicine, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, Rome, Italy. Department of Women, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Department of Women, Child and Public Health, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.
  • Health Management, Fondazione Policlinico Universitario A. Gemelli IRCCS, Rome, Italy.

Abstract

Background

The 2022-2025 Italian Plan for vaccine prevention (PNPV), recognizes vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) as significant contributors to mortality, morbidity, and healthcare expenditure. The digitalization of the national vaccine registry is underway. Initiatives aimed at enhancing digital integration between hospitals and territories are limited, and there is still a gap in the development of automated systems for identifying patients who could benefit from vaccinations directly offered from hospitals.

Methods

Adult frail patients who access the hospital will be recruited over 4 years, following the acquisition of informed consent. With the assistance of a privacy-preserving automated algorithm, electronic hospital and vaccination records will be utilized to assess eligibility for vaccinations against , , , and . Eligible patients will be invited to schedule a vaccination appointment and will be asked to fill in a questionnaire evaluating patient-reported experience measures (PREMs). Outcomes of interest are the feasibility of the pathway, patients' satisfaction and concerns with it, and its impact on vaccination coverage.

Ethics and dissemination

The study has been approved by the ethics committee of the "Fondazione Policlinico Universitario Agostino Gemelli" -FPG- (comitato.etico@policlinicogemelli.it), with approval number 5819. Furthermore, it has been published on ClinicalTrial.gov with the approval number NCT06127563. The results of the study will be disseminated via conference presentations and peer-reviewed publications.

Clinical trial registration

ClinicalTrials.gov, identifier NCT06127563.

MeSH

Vaccines, Public Health, Vaccination, Primary Prevention, Vaccination Coverage