Multilevel Interventions to Enhance Provider Recommendations for HPV Vaccination

The current care arm consists of the contemporary efforts now in practice to support provider recommendation including a shared, standard immunization schedule, a shared rooming process, a shared well child visit schedule, a shared electronic prompt at point-of-care of vaccines due.

The communication will use expectant (announcement-style or presumptive) language noting the child's HPV vaccination status and stating that the child's provider strongly recommends the child receive the HPV vaccination now. The communication will also describe availability of topical anesthetics (less pain), indicate the availability and convenience of nurse visits for HPV vaccination (less fuss), and describe the immunological and logistical benefits of early vaccination (right now).

The intervention includes two components. The first is a missed opportunities audit-and-feedback. The second is a provision of a strong recommendation provider-toolkit, along with a broad education of the practice staff-nurses, medical secretaries, receptionists, and clinical assistants-regarding the nature of the intervention, its goals, and its likely impact on the practice. The broad education will be conducted through supervisory communications only to practice staff in practices allocated to the intervention at the beginning of the step.

The combination reminder-and-audit arm consists of a simultaneous application of the intervention tested in the reminder-recall arm and the intervention tested in the audit-and-feedback arm.