NIH opens first trial of HIV vaccines in children.

vaccination of high-risk patients reduced winter hospitalizations, emergency room visits, and tests for respiratory ailments by 10% to 20%. As part of a three-year randomized trial, physicians of patients at high risk for serious illness from influenza infection in the study group received computer reminders to take preventive-care actions, while physicians of high-risk patients in the control group did not receive such reminders. Patients at risk for influenza were those over 65 years of age or with chronic lung disease, asthma, diabetes mellitus, congestive heart failure, or renal or hepatic failure. Patients in the intervention group received influenza vaccination twice as often as patients in the control group. The potential benefits of influenza vaccination was evaluated by comparing patient outcomes in the intervention and control groups during three winters. The rates of winter morbidity, emergency room visits, and hospitalization were significantly less for patients in the intervention group than control patients. The authors concluded that the success of computer-generated reminders should support efforts to use computerized medical records in primary practices and to include the ability to generate patientspecific preventive care reminders. FROM: McDonald CJ, Hui SL, Tierney WM. Effects of computer reminders for influenza vaccination on morbidity during influenza epidemics. MD Computing 9;1992:304-312.