Positive deviance approaches to improving vaccination coverage rates within healthcare systems: a systematic review
Publication: Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research
Abstract
Aim: Our objective was to systematically review the use of the positive deviance approach to identify strategies to improve vaccination coverage rates. Materials & methods: We searched English language articles in Medline, Embase, Cochrane Library, CINAHL and PsycINFO without any date restrictions on 4 October 2017. We compiled a list of all strategies and evaluated the quality of these studies using the QATSDD tool. Results: After a review of 241 citations, we included eight studies. These studies focused on a wide variety of vaccines and settings. Core strategies that support vaccine uptake include the importance of tailoring and targeting in both messaging and delivery of vaccines and tracking delivery of vaccines. Patient and provider education, reminders, feedback loops, community collaborations, immunization registries and use of a medical home were also identified as other strategies. Conclusion: Our findings highlight several useful core strategies, which can be used to promote vaccination coverage. PROSPERO: CRD42017078221.
Formats available
You can view the full content in the following formats:
References
Papers of special note have been highlighted as: • of interest; •• of considerable interest
1.
Feldstein LR, Mariat S, Gacic-Dobo M et al. Global routine vaccination coverage, 2016. MMWR Morb. Mortal. Wkly Rep. 66, 1252–1255 (2017).
2.
Baxter R, Taylor N, Kellar I et al. What methods are used to apply positive deviance within healthcare organisations? A systematic review. BMJ Qual. Saf. 25(3), 190–201 (2016).
•• This systematic review reports on key studies that have used the positive deviance method in healthcare systems.
3.
Bradley EH, Curry LA, Ramanadhan S et al. Research in action: using positive deviance to improve quality of health care. Implement. Sci. 4, 25 (2009).
4.
Lawton R, Taylor N, Clay-Williams R et al. Positive deviance: a different approach to achieving patient safety. BMJ Qual. Saf. 23(11), 880–883 (2014).
5.
Marsh DR, Schroeder DG, Dearden KA et al. The power of positive deviance. BMJ 329(7475), 1177–1179 (2004).
6.
Krumholz HM, Curry LA, Bradley EH. Survival after acute myocardial infarction (SAMI) study: the design and implementation of a positive deviance study. Am. Heart J. 162(6), 981–987.e9 (2011).
•• Important study that illustrates the success of the positive deviance approach in improving survival after myocardial infarction, which stimulated more research using this method.
7.
Moher D, Liberati A, Tetzlaff J et al. Preferred reporting items for systematic reviews and meta-analyses: The PRISMA statement. PLoS Med. 6(7), e1000097 (2009).
8.
Ouzzani M, Hammady H, Fedorowicz Z et al. Rayyan – a web and mobile app for systematic reviews. Syst. Rev. 5(1), 210 (2016).
9.
Sirriyeh R, Lawton R, Gardner P et al. Reviewing studies with diverse designs: the development and evaluation of a new tool. J. Eval. Clin. Pract. 18(4), 746–752 (2012).
10.
Klaiman T, O’Connell K, Stoto M. Local health department public vaccination clinic success during 2009 pH1N1. J. Public Health Manag. Pract. 19(4), E20–E26 (2013).
• Study reporting on the use of the positive deviance approach to support local vaccination efforts.
11.
Klaiman T, O’Connell K, Stoto MA. Learning from successful school-based vaccination clinics during 2009 pH1N1. J. Sch. Health 84(1), 63–69 (2014).
• Study reporting on the use of the positive deviance approach to support vaccination efforts in a school-based setting.
12.
LaFond A, Kanagat N, Steinglass R et al. Drivers of routine immunization coverage improvement in Africa: findings from district-level case studies. Health Policy Plan. 30(3), 298–308 (2015).
13.
Naimoli JF, Challa S, Schneidman M et al. Toward a grounded theory of why some immunization programmes in sub-Saharan Africa are more successful than others: a descriptive and exploratory assessment in six countries. Health Policy Plan. 23(6), 379–389 (2008).
14.
Newby KV, Parsons J, Brooks J et al. Identifying strategies to increase influenza vaccination in GP practices: a positive deviance approach. Family Prac. 33(3), 318–323 (2016).
• Study reporting on the use of the positive deviance approach to support vaccination efforts in practices in the UK.
15.
Ng JH, Sobel K, Roth L et al. Supporting human papillomavirus vaccination in adolescents: perspectives from commercial and medicaid health plans. J. Public Health Manag. Pract. 23(3), 283–290 (2017).
16.
Razouki Z, Knighton T, Martinello RA et al. Organizational factors associated with Health Care Provider (HCP) influenza campaigns in the Veterans health care system: a qualitative study. BMC Health Serv. Res. 16, 211 (2016).
17.
Wishner A, Aronson J, Kohrt A et al. Best practices: applying management analysis of excellence to immunization. J. Med. Pract. Manage. 20(5), 275–278 (2005).
18.
Kreuter MW, Wray RJ. Tailored and targeted health communication: strategies for enhancing information relevance. Am. J. Health Behav. 27(Suppl. 3), S227–S232 (2003).
19.
Briss PA, Rodewald LE, Hinman AR et al. Reviews of evidence regarding interventions to improve vaccination coverage in children, adolescents, and adults. The Task Force on Community Preventive Services. Am. J. Prev. Med. 18(Suppl. 1), 97–140 (2000).
20.
O’Hara JK, Grasic K, Gutacker N et al. Identifying positive deviants in healthcare quality and safety: a mixed methods study. J. R. Soc. Med. 111(8), 276–291 (2018).
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Pages: 1055 - 1065
PubMed: 31580161
Copyright
© 2019 Future Medicine Ltd.
History
Received: 9 May 2019
Accepted: 5 August 2019
Published online: 3 October 2019
Keywords:
Topics
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Article Usage
Article usage data only available from February 2023. Historical article usage data, showing the number of article downloads, is available upon request.
Citations
How to Cite
Positive deviance approaches to improving vaccination coverage rates within healthcare systems: a systematic review. (2019) Journal of Comparative Effectiveness Research. DOI: 10.2217/cer-2019-0056
Export citation
Select the citation format you wish to export for this article or chapter.
Citing Literature
- Mayumi Mizutani, Harumi Bando, Sofi Oktaviani, Naoko Nishitani, Junko Nishimura, Ritsuko Nishide, Susumu Tanimura, Global trends of positive deviance research in public health: A bibliometric analysis (1976–2024), Preventive Medicine Reports, 10.1016/j.pmedr.2025.103139, 56, (103139), (2025).
- Hyoseon Choi, Janghee Park, Sanghee Yeo, Seung-Joo Na, Hyojin Kwon, Physicians’ and Residents’ Well-Being in Ecological System: A Scoping Review of Positive Deviance Strategies, Healthcare, 10.3390/healthcare13151856, 13, 15, (1856), (2025).
- Mitchell A. M. Matthijssen, Mariëlle Cloin, Florian van Leeuwen, Ien van de Goor, Peter Achterberg, What made people (more) positive toward the COVID-19 vaccine? Exploring positive and negative deviance perspectives, BMC Public Health, 10.1186/s12889-024-21027-1, 25, 1, (2025).
- Ayelign Mengesha Kassie, Elizabeth Eakin, Biruk Beletew Abate, Aklilu Endalamaw, Anteneh Zewdie, Eskinder Wolka, Yibeltal Assefa, The use of positive deviance approach to improve health service delivery and quality of care: a scoping review, BMC Health Services Research, 10.1186/s12913-024-10850-2, 24, 1, (2024).
- Ayelign Mengesha Kassie, Elizabeth Eakin, Biruk Beletew Abate, Aklilu Endalamaw, Anteneh Zewdie, Eskinder Wolka, Yibeltal Assefa, Use of the positive deviance approach for healthcare system service improvement: a scoping review protocol, BMJ Open, 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-078809, 13, 12, (e078809), (2023).
- Ken Ing Cherng Ong, Jennifer Lisa Sakamoto, Masamine Jimba, Positive Deviance Leading and Coping with Social Change, The Palgrave Handbook of Global Social Change, 10.1007/978-3-030-87624-1_69-1, (1-12), (2023).
- Roisin O’Malley, Paul O’Connor, Caoimhe Madden, Sinéad Lydon, A systematic review of the use of positive deviance approaches in primary care, Family Practice, 10.1093/fampra/cmab152, 39, 3, (493-503), (2021).
