“A Day Late and a Dollar Short”: Physicians and HPV Vaccination

Pediatrician-Parent Conversations About Human Papillomavirus Vaccination: An Analysis of Audio Recordings

PURPOSE

We sought to establish which human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine communication approaches by pediatricians were associated with same-day HPV vaccination of 11- to 12-year-olds by evaluating audio recordings of visits.

METHODS

Verilogue, a market research company maintaining a panel of primary care pediatricians, provided audio recordings and transcriptions of well-child visits for 11- to 12-year-old patients from January through June 2013. Seventy-five transcripts from 19 pediatricians were coded for use of presumptive language (i.e., words conveying assumption of vaccine delivery), offer of delay, recommendation strength, and information provision. Using logistic regression, we evaluated the association between pediatrician communication approaches and agreement to same-day HPV vaccination. Generalized estimating equations accounted for clustering of patients within pediatricians.

RESULTS

Same-day agreement to HPV vaccination occurred in 29% of encounters. Pediatricians in the sample often provided parents with inconsistent, mixed messages and sometimes offered information about HPV or HPV vaccination that was inaccurate. Pediatricians used presumptive language in only 11 of 75 encounters; when used, presumptive language was associated with higher odds of accepting HPV vaccine (73% vs. 22%; odds ratio = 8.96; 95% confidence interval = 2.32-34.70). Pediatricians offered or recommended delay in most encounters (65%). HPV vaccine acceptance occurred far more often when pediatricians did not mention delaying vaccination (82% vs. 6%; odds ratio = 80.84; 95% confidence interval = 15.72-415.67). Same-day vaccination was not associated with strength of recommendation or pediatrician reference to vaccinating their own children.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings highlight the need to develop and evaluate physician-focused trainings on using presumptive language for same-day HPV vaccination.

Providers' time spent and tools used when discussing the HPV vaccine with parents of adolescents

OBJECTIVES

Little is known about HPV vaccine communication tools currently used by primary care providers of adolescents, or how such tools impact the quality of HPV vaccine recommendations, which some have defined as using a "presumptive" communication style, continuing to offer vaccines despite resistance, and strongly recommending vaccines at the appropriate ages. We surveyed primary care providers to assess their current use of HPV vaccine communication tools, and how these related to their HPV vaccine recommendation quality.

STUDY DESIGN

Cross sectional survey of 183 pediatrics and family medicine primary care providers in the Denver metro area.

RESULTS

Response rate was 82% (n=150). Most (59%) providers used a presumptive vaccine recommendation >75% of the time, and 76% reported continuing to offer the HPV vaccine even after parent refusal. However, less than two-thirds of providers "strongly" recommended the vaccine to 11-12year olds (60% for females, 55% for males, p=0.02). The HPV vaccine information sheet from the Centers from Disease Control and Prevention was the most frequently used communication tool during clinical visits (64% used at least 75% of the time) and directing parents to preferred websites was the most frequently used between-visit communication tool (21% used >50% of visits). Use of tools was not associated with any measure of HPV vaccine recommendation quality but was associated with longer HPV vaccine discussion times.

CONCLUSIONS

Providers use only limited types of adolescent HPV vaccine communication tools, and frequently do not use preferred vaccine communication strategies. Better engagement with existing HPV vaccine communication tools, and/or the creation of new tools may be needed to enhance providers' ability to provide high quality HPV vaccine recommendations.