Designing an online educational program to improve immunisation service delivery for migrants and refugees in Australia and New Zealand

Abstract

Migrants and refugees are likely to be under-immunised according to the host country's national immunisation schedule and may remain under-immunised post-resettlement for various reasons. In Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, primary health care professionals including general practitioners and nurses provide the majority of routine and catch-up immunisations for migrants and refugees. However, immunisation service delivery for migrants and refugees is complex, with evidence that unmet training needs for immunisation providers, particularly in the development of catch-up plans, is a significant barrier to immunisation service delivery for this group. Targeted professional development opportunities for immunisation providers are essential to improve their awareness, confidence, and capability to improve immunisation service delivery for migrants and refugees. We developed an educational program to support learning for immunisation providers and equip them with the requisite knowledge and confidence to improve immunisation service delivery for refugees and migrants. The development of the multi-module online educational program drew on evidence-based web design principles, adult learning theories, and its content aimed to complement general immunisation training and align with the continuing professional development standards of Australian and New Zealand general practice and nursing colleges. Input from experts and feedback from a few selected providers in Australia and New Zealand added to the robustness of the program. This program has the potential to improve the understanding and capacity of immunisation providers, to improve vaccination experiences and increase overall vaccine uptake among migrants and refugees.