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. 2023 Aug 11;13(8):581-588.
doi: 10.1093/tbm/ibad002.

Feasibility of using an app-based coaching intervention to improve provider communication about HPV vaccination

Brigid K Grabert  1   2 , Annie-Laurie McRee  3   4 , Nora B Henrikson  5 , Jennifer Heisler-MacKinnon  1   2 , Paula R Blasi  5 , Consuelo M Norris  6 , Matthew B Nguyen  5 , John Dunn  5   7 , Mary Catharine McKeithen  2 , Melissa B Gilkey  1   2
Affiliations

Feasibility of using an app-based coaching intervention to improve provider communication about HPV vaccination

Brigid K Grabert et al. Transl Behav Med. .

Abstract

Provider communication training is effective for increasing HPV vaccination rates among U.S. adolescents. However, such trainings often rely on in-person meetings, which can be burdensome for providers and costly to implement. To evaluate the feasibility of Checkup Coach, an app-based coaching intervention, to improve provider communication about HPV vaccination. In 2021, we offered Checkup Coach to providers in 7 primary care clinics in a large integrated delivery system. Participating providers (n = 19) attended a 1-h interactive virtual workshop that taught 5 high-quality practices for recommending HPV vaccination. Providers then had 3 months of access to our mobile app, which offered ongoing communication assessments, tailored tips for addressing parents' concerns, and a dashboard of their clinic's HPV vaccination coverage. Online surveys assessed pre-/post-intervention changes in providers' perceptions and communication behaviors. Compared to baseline, more providers reported high-quality HPV vaccine recommendation practices at 3-month follow-up (47% vs. 74%, p < .05). Providers' knowledge, self-efficacy, and shared commitment to improving HPV vaccination also improved (all p < .05). Although we found improvements in several other cognitions after the workshop, these changes did not retain statistical significance at 3 months. About three-quarters (78%) of providers used the mobile app, logging 2.3 sessions on average. Most providers agreed the app was easy to use (mean = 4.7/5.0), a convenient way to get vaccination data (mean = 4.6/5.0), and a tool they would recommend (mean = 4.3/5.0). Our app-based coaching intervention demonstrated feasibility and warrants additional evaluation as a novel mode for training providers to improve their HPV vaccine communication.

Keywords: Adolescent health; Assessment and feedback; Health communication; Human papillomavirus infections/prevention and control; Human papillomavirus vaccine; Quality improvement.

Plain language summary

The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of Checkup Coach, an app-based coaching intervention to improve provider communication about HPV vaccination, by offering the app to providers in 7 primary care clinics in a large integrated delivery system. Participating providers attended a 1-h interactive virtual workshop that taught high-quality HPV vaccine recommendation practices. For the following 3 months, providers used the app for ongoing communication assessments, tailored tips for addressing parents’ concerns, and a dashboard of their clinic’s HPV vaccination rates. Online surveys assessed pre- and post-intervention changes in providers’ perceptions and communication practices. The percentage of providers reporting high-quality HPV vaccine recommendation practices increased from baseline to follow-up. Providers also reported higher HPV vaccine-related knowledge, self-efficacy, and shared commitment at 3 months. Providers agreed that the app was easy to use, a convenient way to get vaccination data, and a tool they would recommend. Our app-based coaching intervention demonstrated feasibility and warrants additional evaluation as a novel mode for training providers to improve their HPV vaccine communication.

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Figures

Fig 1
Fig 1
Change in providers’ self-reported HPV vaccine recommendation behavior (n = 19), *p < .05.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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