Table 2 Selected intervention objectives, methods and strategies

Management level

Having a written policy

Stimulating nursing homes to develop a written policy on influenza vaccination of HCWs

Informing management on effect of a written policy (outreach visit, written information)

Actively requesting HCWs to get vaccinated

Actively requesting HCWs to get vaccinated

Executing the intervention program automatically leads to an active request

Informing HCWs about influenza vaccination

Having HCWs informed on influenza vaccination

Informing HCWs by plenary meetings, discussion in smaller groups, invitation letter, leaflets, posters, video, website

HCW level

Presence of chronic illness

No objective set due to limited changeability

Working in health care for more than 15 years

No objective set due to limited changeability

Perceived high personal risk

Awareness among HCWs of being at risk for an influenza infection and knowing how high this risk is

- Provide risk information (plenary meeting, leaflets, website)

- Evaluate own behaviour in smaller groups

- Show a video with role-models

Perceived reduction of personal risk

HCWs being convinced that vaccination is effective in reducing the personal risk for an influenza infection

- Provide effectiveness information concerning reduction of personal risk (plenary meeting, leaflets, posters, website)

- Interactive information provision by discussion in smaller groups

- Show a video with role models

Perceived reduction of risk to infect patients

HCWs being convinced that vaccination is effective in reducing the risk to infect patients with influenza

- Providing effectiveness information concerning the reduction of infecting patients (leaflets, posters, website, plenary meeting)

- Interactive information provision by discussion in smaller groups

- Show a video with role-models

Awareness of the existence of a guideline

HCWs being aware of existence of guideline

Mention the existence of the guideline in program materials (leaflets, website, information meeting)

Agreement with this guideline

HCWs understanding reasoning of guideline

- Explain guideline (leaflets, website, plenary meetings)

- Discuss the guideline in smaller groups

Social influence of people close to the HCWs

Also informing people close to the HCWs

Send a personal invitation letter for the plenary meetings to the home address of all HCWs together with an information leaflet

Influence of media attention for avian influenza

HCWs understand what avian influenza is and how it relates to annual human influenza

- Explain avian influenza on website

All HCWs should get vaccinated

HCWs understand the ethical aspects of influenza vaccination among HCWs

- Explain and discuss ethical aspects (leaflets, website)

- Show a video with role-models

- Discussion in smaller groups

HCWs should get vaccinated because of their duty not to harm

HCWs understand the ethical aspects of influenza vaccination among HCWs

- Explain and discuss ethical aspects (leaflets, website)

- Show a video with role-models

- Discussion in smaller groups

Information received through an information meeting

Conducting an information meeting

Execute an information meeting with plenary information on influenza and influenza vaccination and discussion in smaller groups

Information received from a nursing home physician

Having preferably a physician a local program coordinator

Nursing home physician signing invitation letters and shows his support during information meetings