HPV Vaccination: An Investigation of Physician Reminders and Recommendation Scripts

Study Rationale:

Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine uptake among females and males remains unacceptably low. Health care provider recommendation of HPV vaccine is a major driver of vaccine acceptance. Conversely, the failure of health care providers to recommend HPV vaccine has repeatedly been identified as the primary factor in non-vaccination. Among many recommendations for increasing HPV vaccination rates are several that specifically target health care providers. Two approaches are implementation of electronic health records-based decision support systems and interventions designed to help physicians recommend HPV vaccine in a routine, matter-of-fact manner that addresses uneasiness in discussing sexual activity with parents of adolescents.

A randomized, 3-arm interventional study is proposed.

The 3 arms (randomized at the level of health care provider) will be:

1. usual practice;
2. automated reminders to recommend HPV vaccine for eligible male and female adolescents during clinic visits;
3. automated reminders PLUS a suggested recommendation script.