Increasing HPV vaccine interest via standardized multimodal education in an underserved patient population (363)

Abstract

Objectives: This quality improvement project aimed to increase the interest in the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in our adult gynecology dysplasia clinic population aged 18-26 years old by 25%, measured by pre- and post-appointment surveys, through a standardized multimodal education session. Methods: A pre-implementation phase was conducted to identify baseline interest, HPV knowledge, and vaccination concerns. We distributed a survey to be completed pre- and post-visit to patients aged 18-26 in the gynecology dysplasia clinic. The surveys asked the following questions: (’) Can the Human Papillomavirus lead to cervical cancer? (2) Can the HPV vaccine prevent cervical cancer? (3) Would you be interested in receiving the HPV vaccine? (4) If you do not want the vaccine, why? The patients indicated many concerns about the vaccine on their pre-appointment survey, which were then addressed by their healthcare provider using a standardized script. They also received a copy of a pamphlet with information on the HPV vaccine with a QR-code to access a video addressing the relationship of HPV to cervical dysplasia/cancer stored on an online platform. All materials were available in both English and Spanish. The primary outcome was to increase the interest in the HPV vaccine. Secondary aims of this project included increasing understanding of the causative relationship between HPV and cervical dysplasia/cancer and the potential for cervical cancer prevention by the HPV vaccine. A Chisquare analysis was performed to determine whether pre- and postappointment surveys differed. Results: A total of 78 patients participated in the initiative from September 2020 to January 2021. The average patient age was 24.0 ± 1.5. Sixty percent were English-speaking and 40% were Spanishspeaking. The most commonly cited reasons for vaccine hesitancy on the pre-appointment survey were “I do not have enough information about the vaccine” and “I am worried about potential side effects”, followed by “No one has talked to me about or offered the vaccine before”. Post-appointment “Yes” responses increased significantly for all questions after multimodal education: (’) Can HPV lead to cervical cancer? (p = 0.01) (2) Can the HPV vaccine prevent cervical cancer? (p <0.01) (3) Would you be interested in receiving the HPV vaccine? (p < 0.01). Patients indicated that 69.2% watched the video, 84.6% read the pamphlet, and 74.4% received personalized counseling from their healthcare provider. Conclusions: Standardized multimodal education greatly increases interest in the HPV vaccine. It also increases understanding of the causative relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, as well as the knowledge that the HPV vaccine can potentially prevent cervical cancer. Future directions include determining which of these patients elect for the vaccine and who receives the full series. Objectives: This quality improvement project aimed to increase the interest in the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine in our adult gynecology dysplasia clinic population aged 18-26 years old by 25%, measured by pre- and post-appointment surveys, through a standardized multimodal education session. Methods: A pre-implementation phase was conducted to identify baseline interest, HPV knowledge, and vaccination concerns. We distributed a survey to be completed pre- and post-visit to patients aged 18-26 in the gynecology dysplasia clinic. The surveys asked the following questions: (’) Can the Human Papillomavirus lead to cervical cancer? (2) Can the HPV vaccine prevent cervical cancer? (3) Would you be interested in receiving the HPV vaccine? (4) If you do not want the vaccine, why? The patients indicated many concerns about the vaccine on their pre-appointment survey, which were then addressed by their healthcare provider using a standardized script. They also received a copy of a pamphlet with information on the HPV vaccine with a QR-code to access a video addressing the relationship of HPV to cervical dysplasia/cancer stored on an online platform. All materials were available in both English and Spanish. The primary outcome was to increase the interest in the HPV vaccine. Secondary aims of this project included increasing understanding of the causative relationship between HPV and cervical dysplasia/cancer and the potential for cervical cancer prevention by the HPV vaccine. A Chisquare analysis was performed to determine whether pre- and postappointment surveys differed. Results: A total of 78 patients participated in the initiative from September 2020 to January 2021. The average patient age was 24.0 ± 1.5. Sixty percent were English-speaking and 40% were Spanishspeaking. The most commonly cited reasons for vaccine hesitancy on the pre-appointment survey were “I do not have enough information about the vaccine” and “I am worried about potential side effects”, followed by “No one has talked to me about or offered the vaccine before”. Post-appointment “Yes” responses increased significantly for all questions after multimodal education: (’) Can HPV lead to cervical cancer? (p = 0.01) (2) Can the HPV vaccine prevent cervical cancer? (p <0.01) (3) Would you be interested in receiving the HPV vaccine? (p < 0.01). Patients indicated that 69.2% watched the video, 84.6% read the pamphlet, and 74.4% received personalized counseling from their healthcare provider. Conclusions: Standardized multimodal education greatly increases interest in the HPV vaccine. It also increases understanding of the causative relationship between HPV and cervical cancer, as well as the knowledge that the HPV vaccine can potentially prevent cervical cancer. Future directions include determining which of these patients elect for the vaccine and who receives the full series.