Identifying Medical Residents’ Perceived Needs in Vaccine Education though a Needs Assessment Survey

Sarah Williams,Sharon Humiston,Barbara Pahud,Shannon Clark,Kadriye Lewis,Donald Middleton

doi:10.15694/mep.2020.000041.1

Abstract

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Background: Vaccine education during residency is not standardized. Little is known about resident perspectives on vaccines and ideal vaccine training. Methods: A convenience sample of pediatric and family medicine (FM) residents were surveyed using a de novo 22 question survey to understand perspectives on vaccines and current and preferred vaccine education curriculum. Responses were analyzed categorically and compared by resident year using Fisher's Exact test. Results: In October 2016, 126 residents from 9 pediatric and FM programs completed the survey. Resident respondents' training levels varied. Most were 25-29 years old and female. High familiarity with vaccines and agreeing to defer recommended vaccine(s) increased with additional years of training (p<0.01). Most residents want to learn more about vaccine risks, benefits, and communication skills. Preferred training modalities were in-person lectures, online modules, and continuity clinic didactics. Residents rated MMR and Hib vaccines as "highly important" more frequently than they did so for HPV and influenza vaccines. One fifth of respondents reported some degree of hesitancy regarding vaccines. Conclusion: Results provide insight on framework and scope for development of a vaccine education curriculum. Identification of vaccine hesitancy among residents and the rating of certain recommended vaccines as of variable importance underscores the need for resident vaccine training.

Highlights

Parents are increasingly delaying or refusing vaccines for their children and/or themselves (Siddiqui, Salmon and Omer, 2013)
Our goal was to assess the need and structure for the development of an evidence-based vaccine education curriculum for residents by examining residents’ confidence, attitudes, hesitancy and training needs related to vaccines
21% of survey respondents were "somewhat hesitant" or "neutral" toward vaccines, and a substantial fraction value HPV and influenza less than other routinely recommended vaccines. Results from this survey support the need that standardized, evidence-based vaccine education in residency programs is needed to 1) clarify the important risks and benefits of vaccination, 2) equip residents with communication skills to address vaccine concerns, and 3) counter the vaccine hesitancy that may exist in the residents themselves

Summary

Introduction

Parents are increasingly delaying or refusing vaccines for their children and/or themselves (Siddiqui, Salmon and Omer, 2013). Standardized evidence-based residency training to manage ‘vaccine hesitancy’ has not been developed. A 2014 survey of Association of Pediatric Program Directors members showed that most pediatric training programs lacked an organized curriculum on vaccine safety or parental vaccine hesitancy, yet most respondent program directors believed such training would be valuable and important (Williams and Swan, 2014). It is unknown whether residents harbor vaccine hesitant attitudes similar to the general population, which would undermine their vaccine recommendations. Vaccine education during residency is not standardized. Little is known about resident perspectives on vaccines and ideal vaccine training

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Conclusion