Abstract
BackgroundThe decline in the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations has resulted in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination apps can be used as a tool to promote immunization through the provision of reminders, dissemination of information, peer support, and feedback.ObjectiveThe aim of this review is to systematically review the evidence on the use of apps to support childhood vaccination uptake, information storage, and record sharing.MethodsWe will identify relevant papers by searching the following electronic databases: PubMed, Embase by Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL), ClinicalTrials.gov, and Education Resources Information Center (ERIC). We will review the reference lists of those studies that we include to identify relevant additional papers not initially identified using our search strategy. In addition to the use of electronic databases, we will search for grey literature on the topic. The search strategy will include only terms relating to or describing the intervention, which is app use. As almost all titles and abstracts are in English, 100% of these will be reviewed, but retrieval will be confined to papers written in the English language. We will record the search outcome on a specifically designed record sheet. Two reviewers will select observational and intervention studies, appraise the quality of the studies, and extract the relevant data. All studies will involve the use of apps relating to child vaccinations. The primary outcome is the uptake of vaccinations. Secondary outcomes are as follows: (1) use of app for sharing of information and providing vaccination reminders and (2) use of app for storage of vaccination information; knowledge and decision making by parents regarding vaccination (ie, risks and benefits of vaccination); costs and cost-effectiveness of vaccination apps; use of the app and measures of usability (eg, usefulness, acceptability, and experiences of different users: parents and health care professionals); use of technical standards for development of the app; and adverse events (eg, data leaks and misinformation). We will exclude studies that do not study an app. We anticipate a limited scope for meta-analysis and will provide a narrative overview of findings and tabular summaries of extracted data.ResultsThis project was funded by the Sir David Cooksey Fellowship in Healthcare Translation at the University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom. We will submit the full systematic review for publication in the Journal of Medical Internet Research.ConclusionsThis review will follow, where possible, the Cochrane Collaboration and the Centre for Review and Dissemination methodologies for conducting systematic reviews. We will report our findings based on guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement. The review results will be used to inform the development of a vaccination app.International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)PRR1-10.2196/16929
Highlights
Description of the IssueOutbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as the measles, mumps, rubella, and diphtheria, have risen over the past decade [1,2,3]
We will report our findings based on guidelines from the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) statement
The review results will be used to inform the development of a vaccination app
Summary
Outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases, such as the measles, mumps, rubella, and diphtheria, have risen over the past decade [1,2,3]. While mortality rates of vaccine-preventable diseases are relatively low, certain groups, including children under 5 years of age and people with a compromised immune system, are at greater risk of severe complications [2]. The decline in the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations has been identified as a cause for outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Immunization coverage has declined for nine routine childhood vaccinations measured at different child ages in England; vaccination rates fell by 0.2%-1% in 2018-2019 compared to the previous year [4]. The decline in the uptake of routine childhood vaccinations has resulted in outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. Vaccination apps can be used as a tool to promote immunization through the provision of reminders, dissemination of information, peer support, and feedback
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