Inpatient Immunization With HPV Vaccine: A Qualitative Study With Postpartum Women.

INTRODUCTION: Rates of immunization with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine among adolescent and young adult females remain suboptimal. There is a continued need to focus on catch-up immunization. Some hospitals in the United States have implemented inpatient postpartum HPV immunization programs (IPP-HPV) as part of a strategy to improve rates of catch-up immunization. Patients' perspectives are critical to facilitating broad adoption of IPP-HPV. The objectives of this study were to understand the experiences and perspectives of postpartum women recommended to receive HPV vaccine before hospital discharge and to identify facilitators of and barriers to program implementation. METHODS: We conducted in-depth semistructured interviews with postpartum women eligible for IPP-HPV. We used purposive sampling to ensure representation across race, ethnicity, and language. Interviews were analyzed using an iterative thematic approach. RESULTS: The median age of participants (n = 24) was 22 years (range, 15-26 years), and six had declined the inpatient dose of HPV vaccine. Overall, women viewed IPP-HPV favorably. Facilitators of program implementation included viewing HPV vaccine as prevention, normalization of the vaccine, convenience of IPP-HPV, and the experience of a patient-centered approach. Barriers included the peripartum environment and associated stress, vaccine hesitancy, and a lack of both awareness of and knowledge about HPV vaccine. CONCLUSIONS: IPP-HPV immunization is a strategy well-received by women for improving rates of catch-up immunization. The implementation of such programs may be optimized by increasing awareness that the vaccine is available and recommended for postpartum women, and by using a patient-centered approach that is sensitive to the needs of postpartum patients.

Evaluation of an Inpatient Postpartum Human Papillomavirus Immunization Program.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the result of an inpatient postpartum human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization pilot program in a diverse, low-income patient population from an urban, hospital-based obstetrics and gynecology clinic. METHODS: In this cohort study, we present results from the first 2 years of the inpatient postpartum HPV immunization program, in which vaccine-eligible postpartum women were identified and immunized during their hospital stays. The program was implemented after educational outreach with prenatal and postpartum clinicians and nurses. Associations between receipt of the HPV vaccine as an inpatient and the characteristics of patients, and the likelihood of and missed opportunities for receiving a subsequent dose of the HPV vaccine as an outpatient were determined using logistic regression, time-to-event analyses, chi-squared tests and t-tests. RESULTS: From April 11, 2017, to April 10, 2019, 394 (59.2%) of 666 postpartum women were eligible for the inpatient postpartum HPV immunization program. The majority (265/394, 67.3%) received the immunization pilot program HPV dose; 36 of those 265 (13.6%) completed the series with that dose. Among women due for additional doses after hospital discharge, those who received the inpatient dose were more likely to receive a subsequent outpatient dose (138/229) than were those who did not receive an inpatient dose (39/129; hazard ratio 2.51, 95% CI 1.76-3.58). On average, there were 30.7 fewer (95% CI 5.8-55.6, P<.02) missed opportunities for subsequent outpatient doses for every 100 eligible visits among women who received the inpatient dose, compared with women who did not. By the end of the study, the proportion of women who had completed the vaccine series was higher among women who received the inpatient dose (95/265, 35.8%) than in those who did not (12 out 129, 9.3%; odds ratio 5.45, 95% CI 2.86-10.38). CONCLUSION: The inpatient postpartum HPV immunization program was associated with increased rates of immunization and addressed a previously missed opportunity. Inpatient immunization programs can serve as a critical way to address gaps in vaccine uptake.

Feasibility and Accuracy of a Computer-Assisted Self-Interviewing Instrument to Ascertain Prior Immunization With Human Papillomavirus Vaccine by Self-Report: Cross-Sectional Analysis.

BACKGROUND: Ascertaining history of prior immunization with human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine can be challenging and resource-intensive. Computer-assisted self-interviewing instruments have the potential to address some of the challenges of self-reporting, and may also reduce the time, costs, and efforts associated with ascertaining immunization status. OBJECTIVE: This study assesses both the feasibility and the accuracy of a computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument to ascertain a patient's history of immunization with the HPV vaccine. METHODS: We developed both a survey and a Web-based data collection system using computer-assisted self-interviewing to ascertain self-reported HPV vaccine immunization history. We implemented the instrument in a sample of adult women enrolled in an ongoing study of the HPV vaccine. Vaccine records from prior sources of care were reviewed to verify reported immunization history. RESULTS: Among the 312 participants who provided HPV vaccine immunization history by self-report, almost all (99%) were able to do so using the computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument. The median survey completion time was 10 minutes (IQR 7-17). The accuracy of self-report was 84%, sensitivity was 89%, specificity was 80%, and the negative predictive value was 92%. CONCLUSIONS: We found that it is feasible to collect a history of immunization with the HPV vaccine using a computer-assisted self-interviewing instrument. This approach is likely to be acceptable to adult women and is reasonably accurate in a clinical research setting.

Human Papillomavirus Vaccination and Anogenital Warts: A Systematic Review of Impact and Effectiveness in the United States.

BACKGROUND: Assessing the impact and effectiveness of HPV vaccines on anogenital warts in the United States can provide early indication of the success of vaccination programs as well as identify potential areas for improvement. METHODS: Articles were identified from the PubMed, Medline, and Embase databases. Exclusion criteria were applied, and remaining studies were then classified as impact or effectiveness studies. RESULTS: Eight eligible studies published through March 2018 were included. Population-based impact studies examining trends in diagnoses reported consistent declines in females ages 25 years and younger after 2006 when routine female vaccination began in the United States. Declines in males ages 25 years and younger were also seen; however, these declines were lower than those in females and more evident after routine male vaccination began in 2011. Among females and males older than 25 years, little to no change has been seen in the trends of anogenital warts since 2006. Studies that included the pre-vaccine era (before 2006) reported increasing trends during this period. After vaccine introduction, a reversal in these trends was observed. Effectiveness studies that included individual-level vaccination histories consistently demonstrated a lower risk of anogenital warts for those receiving at least one dose of the vaccine compared to those unvaccinated. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that the degree of HPV vaccine impact has varied substantially by age and sex. Achieving the full prevention potential of HPV vaccines will likely require greater coverage among both females and males. Post-licensure estimates of effectiveness demonstrate the real-world benefit of the vaccine.

Impact of a clinical interventions bundle on uptake of HPV vaccine at an OB/GYN clinic.

INTRODUCTION: HPV vaccine uptake is lowest among young adults. Little is known about the most effective way to decrease missed opportunities (MO) and increase uptake of the vaccine in this vulnerable population. OBJECTIVES: To determine the impact of a clinical intervention bundle on the rate of MO and uptake of the vaccine among young adult women. METHODS: From 2/2014 to 7/2015, an intervention bundle (designating physician and nurse champions, pre-screening patients' charts, empowering nurses to recommend immunization, providing no-cost vaccinations, placing prompts in clinic note templates, eliminating requirement for pre-vaccination pregnancy test) was implemented at an urban, hospital-based OB/GYN clinic. Medical records were reviewed for all vaccine-eligible (non-pregnant, 11-26 years) women seen between 2/2013 and 9/2016. Impact of the bundled interventions on the monthly rates of MO and vaccine uptake was estimated by analyzing immunization trends with an interrupted time-series model using counterfactual comparison groups in order to control for pre-existing trends. RESULTS: There were 6,463 vaccine-eligible visits during our study period. The prevalence of women who had both completed and initiated the series was significantly higher, 20.3% and 29.7% respectively, in the last month, compared to their counterfactuals (p < 0.01). In the last study month, the rate of MO was significantly lower than its counterfactual (19.73 per 100 encounters lower, p < 0.01). Hispanic women had attributable reductions in their rates of MO that were twice that of White women. Statistically significant attributable reductions were also seen among Spanish speakers, publicly insured, and uninsured women. CONCLUSIONS: Implementation of this intervention bundle effectively reduced the monthly rate of MO and increased the prevalence of women who had initiated and completed the HPV vaccine series. The reduction of MO was most drastic among Hispanic, publicly insured and uninsured women compared to White and privately insured.