Planning, implementation, and sustaining high coverage of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination programs: What works in the context of low-resource countries?

Cervical cancer due to human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is a leading cause of mortality among women in low-resource settings. Many Sub-Saharan African countries have introduced HPV vaccination programs at the national level in the last few years. However, countries are struggling to maintain sustainable coverage. This study focuses on the introduction and sustainability challenges, context-specific key lessons learned, and mechanisms of action to achieve high sustainable coverage from low and lower-middle-income countries (LLMICs) that have introduced HPV vaccination programs by collating evidence from a literature review and key informant interviews. Local data availability was a challenge across countries, with the lack or absence of registries, data collection and reporting mechanisms. Multi-sectoral coordination and early involvement of key stakeholders were cited as an integral part of HPV programs and facilitators for sustainable coverage. Key informants identified periodic sensitization and training as critical due to high staff turnover. Health workforce mobilization was fundamental to ensure that the health workforce is aware of the disease etiology, eligibility requirements, and can dispel misinformation. Schools were reported to be an ideal sustainable platform for vaccination. However, this required teachers to be trained, which was often not considered in the programs. District-level staff were often poorly informed and lacked the technical and logistic capacity to support vaccination rounds and data collection. To improve the sustainability of HPV vaccination programs, there is a need for timely microplanning, efficient preparedness assessment, assessing training approaches, periodic training, finding innovative ways to achieve equity and adoption of a bottom-up approach to ensure that processes between districts and central level are well-connected and resources are distributed efficiently.

Which interventions improve HPV vaccination uptake and intention in children, adolescents and young adults? An umbrella review.

BACKGROUND: Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination offers protection against the virus responsible for cervical, oropharyngeal, anal, vulval and penile cancers. However, there is considerable variation across, and even within, countries as to how HPV vaccination is offered and accepted. This review aimed to identify what interventions exist to promote uptake and how effective they are. METHODS: We conducted an umbrella review using the JBI (Joanna Briggs Institute) methodology to evaluate routine or catch-up interventions to increase HPV vaccination uptake and/or intention for children aged 9 years and older, adolescents and young adults up to 26. Comprehensive searches for English language quantitative systematic reviews, published between January 2011 and July 2021, were conducted across five databases. After reviewing titles and abstract, relevant papers were independently assessed in detail. MAIN RESULTS: From 1046 records identified, 10 articles were included in the review. They reported on 95 randomised controlled trials, 28 quasi-experimental studies, 14 cohort studies, 6 non-randomised pretest/post-test studies with control groups, 5 single-group pretest/post-test studies, 1 single-group post-test study and 1 randomised longitudinal study. Some interventions promoted change at the individual, community or organisational level, while others used a multicomponent approach. Face-to-face presentations, printed information and supplementing both strategies with additional components appear effective at increasing vaccination intention, while reminders and multicomponent strategies, especially ones that include some intervention aimed at provider level, appear effective at increasing vaccination uptake. Interventions that did not lead to an improvement in HPV vaccination intention or uptake varied in design and impacts were inconsistent across children/adolescents, young adults or parents. CONCLUSION: The evidence suggests that there is no single solution to increasing vaccination uptake and that different approaches may be better suited to certain populations. However, generalisations are limited by poor reporting and a paucity of studies beyond the USA. Further high-quality studies, therefore, are needed to understand how best to increase HPV vaccination uptake in different target populations.

A mixed methods study of health care professionals' attitudes towards vaccination in 15 countries.

Background: Health care professionals are widely considered to be the most trusted source of information on vaccine-related topics. However, several are reporting their own hesitancy around certain vaccines, influencing their intention to vaccinate themselves as well as influencing their recommendations to their patients and target population. Methods: A mixed-methods approach was used including an online survey (n = 1,504) in 15 countries which aimed to determine drivers of HCPs vaccine confidence and examine how these drivers vary across nations. Thirty in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with 10 HCPs in a subset of three countries (France, Greece and Hungry) to explore barriers to HCPs vaccine uptake and their role in addressing vaccine hesitancy among patients.Findings.The survey's regression analysis identified that nurses/midwives and HCPs from Hungary, Italy, Romania and Switzerland were less confident in the safety, importance or effectiveness of vaccines in general. Morocco (35%), Turkey (53%) and Greece (69%) reported the lowest influenza vaccination coverage among HCPs. Morocco also reported the lowest rates of HCPs who were "highly likely" to recommend MMR vaccine (34%), HPV vaccine (31%) and Covid-19 vaccines (29%). More than third of HCPs reported a lack of trust in health authorities and in the information they provide. Thematic analysis revealed that concerns over the risk of side-effects associated with vaccines, preference for natural immunity, whether it was necessary to be vaccinated against influenza every year, not having any chronic disease risk factors, and vaccines mandates as the key barriers to HCPs vaccination against influenza and Covid-19. Conclusion: HCPs have an important role in vaccination and their confidence in vaccination and health authorities must be improved as this may affect their uptake of vaccines and influence their recommendations to their patients. Investigating the impact of political, socio-economic and cultural contexts on concerns about vaccination among HCPs is also necessary.

Maternal Vaccination in Uganda: Exploring Pregnant Women, Community Leaders and Healthcare Workers' Perceptions.

Background: We investigated pregnant women, community leaders, healthcare workers (HCWs) and programme managers' perceptions of maternal vaccination in Kampala, Uganda. Methods: We conducted focus group discussions, key informant interviews and in-depth discussions with HCWs (3), community leaders (3), pregnant women (8) and programme managers (10) between November 2019 and October 2020. Data were analysed thematically. Results: Pregnant women, community leaders and some HCWs had limited maternal immunisation knowledge. There was confusion over what constitutes a vaccine. Pregnant women may not receive vaccines because of mistrust of government; use of expired vaccines; reliance on traditional medicine; religious beliefs; fear of side effects; HCWs attitudes; and logistical issues. The key facilitators of maternal vaccination were a desire to prevent diseases, positive influences from HCWs and information about vaccine side effects. Community leaders and some pregnant women highlighted that pregnant women do not make decisions about maternal vaccination independently and are influenced by different individuals, including other pregnant women, older people, partners, relatives (parents), community leaders, HCWs and the government. Conclusions: Our results indicate that public health messaging should target all community members, including partners and parents of pregnant women as well as HCWs, to improve knowledge of and confidence in maternal vaccines.

Vaccination as a Control Tool in Bovine Tuberculosis: Social Media Monitoring to Assess Public Response to Government Policy Development and Implementation.

Vaccine hesitancy does not only concern human vaccines but incorporates One Health policies also; including vaccination of cattle and badgers as part of the government's bovine tuberculosis eradication strategy for England. Both digital and social media can propagate healthcare misinformation and thus affect vaccine policy support. The use of social media monitoring to understand real-time public perceptions of One Health policies is crucial to identify misinformation and address public concerns appropriately to achieve successful policy implementation. Digital and social media data surrounding two government announcements regarding the bovine tuberculosis eradication strategy for England were collected and screened using the Meltwater media monitoring platform. Communication patterns were studied using InfraNodus. Twitter analysis was conducted to identify key influencers, public engagement, and trending communications. Online social media activity increased rapidly after each announcement. Initially, badger culling took primary public concern and major influencers were identified. Cattle vaccination dominated discussion after the second announcement, with public perception being influenced by increased online activity from news sites, animal welfare charities, governmental bodies, and medical professionals. The greatest ambiguity towards the strategy was detected within farming communities, with the main disparity existing between cattle vaccination and badger culling opinions. Social media monitoring has potential use in surveying public perception of government policy, both prior to, and after implementation to identify and address areas of miscommunication and misinformation to improve public support for One Health policies.

Methods for Social Media Monitoring Related to Vaccination: Systematic Scoping Review.

BACKGROUND: Social media has changed the communication landscape, exposing individuals to an ever-growing amount of information while also allowing them to create and share content. Although vaccine skepticism is not new, social media has amplified public concerns and facilitated their spread globally. Multiple studies have been conducted to monitor vaccination discussions on social media. However, there is currently insufficient evidence on the best methods to perform social media monitoring. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to identify the methods most commonly used for monitoring vaccination-related topics on different social media platforms, along with their effectiveness and limitations. METHODS: A systematic scoping review was conducted by applying a comprehensive search strategy to multiple databases in December 2018. The articles' titles, abstracts, and full texts were screened by two reviewers using inclusion and exclusion criteria. After data extraction, a descriptive analysis was performed to summarize the methods used to monitor and analyze social media, including data extraction tools; ethical considerations; search strategies; periods monitored; geolocalization of content; and sentiments, content, and reach analyses. RESULTS: This review identified 86 articles on social media monitoring of vaccination, most of which were published after 2015. Although 35 out of the 86 studies used manual browser search tools to collect data from social media, this was time-consuming and only allowed for the analysis of small samples compared to social media application program interfaces or automated monitoring tools. Although simple search strategies were considered less precise, only 10 out of the 86 studies used comprehensive lists of keywords (eg, with hashtags or words related to specific events or concerns). Partly due to privacy settings, geolocalization of data was extremely difficult to obtain, limiting the possibility of performing country-specific analyses. Finally, 20 out of the 86 studies performed trend or content analyses, whereas most of the studies (70%, 60/86) analyzed sentiments toward vaccination. Automated sentiment analyses, performed using leverage, supervised machine learning, or automated software, were fast and provided strong and accurate results. Most studies focused on negative (n=33) and positive (n=31) sentiments toward vaccination, and may have failed to capture the nuances and complexity of emotions around vaccination. Finally, 49 out of the 86 studies determined the reach of social media posts by looking at numbers of followers and engagement (eg, retweets, shares, likes). CONCLUSIONS: Social media monitoring still constitutes a new means to research and understand public sentiments around vaccination. A wide range of methods are currently used by researchers. Future research should focus on evaluating these methods to offer more evidence and support the development of social media monitoring as a valuable research design.

Community engagement strategy for increased uptake of routine immunization and select perinatal services in north-west Ethiopia: A descriptive analysis.

BACKGROUND: Routine immunization coverage has stagnated over the past decade and fallen short of WHO targets in Ethiopia. Community engagement strategies that reach beyond traditional health systems may reduce dropout and increase coverage. This evaluation assesses changes in immunization, postpartum family planning, and antenatal care coverage after implementation of an enhanced community engagement and defaulter tracing strategy, entitled "Fifth Child" project, across two districts in Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State (BGRS), Ethiopia. METHODS AND FINDINGS: A formative evaluation was conducted to examine the contribution of the strategy on immunization, postpartum family planning and antenatal care utilization in Assosa and Bambasi districts of BGRS. The quantitative findings are presented here. Routine and project-specific data were analyzed to assess changes in uptake of childhood vaccinations, postpartum family planning and antenatal care. Between January 2013 and December 2016, pentavalent-3 coverage increased from 63% to 84% in Assosa, and from 78% to 93% in Bambasi. Similarly, measles vaccine coverage increased from 77% to 81% in Assosa, and from 59% to 86% in Bambasi. Approximately 54% of all eligible infants across both woredas defaulted on scheduled vaccinations at least once during the period. Among defaulting children, 84% were identified and subsequently caught up on the vaccinations missed. Secondary outcomes of postpartum family planning and antenatal care also increased in both woredas. CONCLUSION: The "Fifth Child" project likely contributed to enhanced immunization performance and increased utilization of immunization and select perinatal health services in two woredas of BGRS. Further research is required in order to determine the impact of this community engagement strategy.

Mapping global trends in vaccine confidence and investigating barriers to vaccine uptake: a large-scale retrospective temporal modelling study.

BACKGROUND: There is growing evidence of vaccine delays or refusals due to a lack of trust in the importance, safety, or effectiveness of vaccines, alongside persisting access issues. Although immunisation coverage is reported administratively across the world, no similarly robust monitoring system exists for vaccine confidence. In this study, vaccine confidence was mapped across 149 countries between 2015 and 2019. METHODS: In this large-scale retrospective data-driven analysis, we examined global trends in vaccine confidence using data from 290 surveys done between September, 2015, and December, 2019, across 149 countries, and including 284 381 individuals. We used a Bayesian multinomial logit Gaussian process model to produce estimates of public perceptions towards the safety, importance, and effectiveness of vaccines. Associations between vaccine uptake and a large range of putative drivers of uptake, including vaccine confidence, socioeconomic status, and sources of trust, were determined using univariate Bayesian logistic regressions. Gibbs sampling was used for Bayesian model inference, with 95% Bayesian highest posterior density intervals used to capture uncertainty. FINDINGS: Between November, 2015, and December, 2019, we estimate that confidence in the importance, safety, and effectiveness of vaccines fell in Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, the Philippines, and South Korea. We found significant increases in respondents strongly disagreeing that vaccines are safe between 2015 and 2019 in six countries: Afghanistan, Azerbaijan, Indonesia, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Serbia. We find signs that confidence has improved between 2018 and 2019 in some EU member states, including Finland, France, Ireland, and Italy, with recent losses detected in Poland. Confidence in the importance of vaccines (rather than in their safety or effectiveness) had the strongest univariate association with vaccine uptake compared with other determinants considered. When a link was found between individuals' religious beliefs and uptake, findings indicated that minority religious groups tended to have lower probabilities of uptake. INTERPRETATION: To our knowledge, this is the largest study of global vaccine confidence to date, allowing for cross-country comparisons and changes over time. Our findings highlight the importance of regular monitoring to detect emerging trends to prompt interventions to build and sustain vaccine confidence. FUNDING: European Commission, Wellcome, and Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council.

The life-course approach to vaccination: Harnessing the benefits of vaccination throughout life.

Vaccination beyond childhood brings significant benefits at the individual, community and socio-economic levels. Despite this, immunisation programmes often fail to deliver the vaccines which could protect those at risk of vaccine-preventable diseases. In this commentary, we argue that the benefits of vaccination beyond childhood must be more widely understood and furthermore, that action must be taken by policymakers, healthcare professionals and patient and civil society organisations to ensure that the benefits of vaccination are fully realised. We outline five areas where change is needed to ensure vaccination across the life-course becomes truly embedded in national immunisation programmes. This includes investing in robust data collection and analysis; ensuring coordinated, multidisciplinary leadership from the top; engaging healthcare professionals; changing public perceptions of vaccination; and integrating vaccination into schools and workplaces.

The role of healthcare providers in HPV vaccination programs - A meeting report.

The Human Papillomavirus (HPV) Prevention and Control Board convened a meeting in Bucharest, Romania (May 2018), to discuss the role of healthcare providers (HCPs) in prevention programs, with a focus on HPV vaccination and cervical cancer screening. International and local experts discussed the role that HCPs can play to increase the uptake of HPV vaccine and screening. Experts recommended: 1) increasing HCP norms of getting vaccinated; 2) training providers to make effective recommendations; 3) making culturally appropriate materials available, in local languages; and 4) centralizing and coordinating education and information material, to direct both HCPs and the general public to the best material available.

HPV vaccination in a context of public mistrust and uncertainty: a systematic literature review of determinants of HPV vaccine hesitancy in Europe.

Europe is increasingly described as the region in the world with the least confidence in vaccination, and particularly in the safety of vaccines. The aim of this systematic literature review was to gather and summarise all peer-reviewed and grey literature published about determinants of Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine hesitancy in Europe. Ten thematic categories were identified across the 103 articles which were included in the review. Participants from European studies most commonly reported issues with the quantity and quality of information available about HPV vaccination; followed by concerns about potential side effects of the vaccine; and mistrust of health authorities, healthcare workers, and new vaccines. Comparative analyses indicated that confidence determinants differed by country and population groups. This evidence supports the need to develop context-specific interventions to improve confidence in HPV vaccination and design community engagement strategies aiming to build public trust.

Vaccination: Is There a Place for Penalties for Non-compliance?

The introduction of punitive measures to control outbreaks of measles in Europe has sparked debate and public protest about the ethical justification of penalties and exclusionary processes for non-immunisation. This article advances an ethics framework related to compulsory vaccination policies, which we use to analyse three case studies: of mandatory policies that are enforced by fines; of policies that require vaccination for the provision of social goods; and of community-led policies in which communities themselves decide how to enforce vaccination compliance. We report on contemporary, ongoing and past measures that have been used to increase vaccine uptake, consider their rationale and the related public responses, elaborate on socio-cultural and contextual influences, and discuss the ethical justification for mandatory vaccination. We argue for a measured approach that protects fundamental human rights to evidence-based information and medical counsel to support health decision making and that simultaneously raises awareness about the role of immunisation in protecting the wider community. We think more emphasis needs to be placed on immunisation as a means of promoting social good, reducing harm and protecting vulnerable groups.

'We All Work Together to Vaccinate the Child': A Formative Evaluation of a Community-Engagement Strategy Aimed at Closing the Immunization Gap in North-West Ethiopia.

The role of community engagement (CE) in improving demand for immunization merits investigation. The International Rescue Committee developed a CE strategy to implement a vaccine defaulter-tracing tool and a color-coded health calendar aimed at increasing uptake of immunization services in north-west Ethiopia ('The Fifth Child Project'). We report findings from a formative evaluation of this project. In May/June 2016 we conducted 18 participant observations of project activities, 46 semi-structured interviews and 6 focus groups with caregivers, health workers, community members/leaders. Audio-recordings and fieldnotes were transcribed, anonymized, translated and analyzed thematically using inductive and deductive coding. Additional data was collected in November 2016 to verify findings. The project was suitably integrated within the health extension program and established a practical system for defaulter-tracing. The calendar facilitated personalized interactions between health workers and caregivers and was a catalyst for health discussions within homes. At the community level, a regulation exercise of sanctions was observed, which served as a deterrent against vaccine default. Pre-existing community accountability mechanisms supported the CE, although varying levels of engagement between leaders and health workers were observed. The benefits of shared responsibility for immunization were evident; however, more transparency was required about community self-regulatory measures to ensure health-related discussions remain positive.

Overcoming barriers in HPV vaccination and screening programs.

The Human Papillomavirus Prevention and Control Board brought together experts to discuss optimizing HPV vaccination and screening programs. Board members reviewed the safety profile of licensed HPV vaccines based on clinical and post-marketing data, reaching a consensus that current safety data is reassuring. Successful vaccination programs used well-coordinated communication campaigns, integrating (social) media to spread awareness. Communication of evidence supporting vaccine effectiveness had beneficial effects on the perception of the vaccine. However, anti-vaccination campaigns have threatened existing programs in many countries. Measurement and monitoring of HPV vaccine confidence over time could help understand the nature and scale of waning confidence, define issues and intervene appropriately using context-specific evidence-based strategies. Finally, a broad group of stakeholders, such as teachers, health care providers and the media should also be provided with accurate information and training to help support prevention efforts through enhanced understanding of the risks and benefits of vaccination. Similarly, while cervical cancer screening through population-based programs is highly effective, barriers to screening exist: awareness in countries with population-based screening programs, access for vulnerable populations, and access and affordability in low- and middle-income countries. Integration of primary and secondary prevention has the potential to accelerate the decrease in cervical cancer incidence.

The benefit of the doubt or doubts over benefits? A systematic literature review of perceived risks of vaccines in European populations.

OBJECTIVES: The success of vaccination strategies depends in part on population perceptions of benefits and risks of vaccines and related confidence in vaccination. Better knowledge of public concerns about vaccines and what is driving them is needed to inform vaccination strategies and communications. This literature reviewer examined studies on vaccine and vaccination risk perceptions and concerns across European populations. METHODS: A systematic literature review was conducted to identify studies published between 2004 and 2014 in Europe. A descriptive analysis was performed. FINDINGS: A total of 145 articles were selected, most of which were conducted in the UK, the Netherlands and France and studied seasonal influenza, HPV and pandemic influenza vaccination. Across all countries and vaccines, the primary area of concern was vaccine safety, followed by perceptions of low likelihood of contracting vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), perceived low severity of VPDs, beliefs that vaccines do not work, and overall lack of information. Concerns were found to be vaccine-, country- and population-specific. CONCLUSION: In addition to identifying concerns about vaccination in Europe, this study confirmed the notion that individuals have many safety concerns about vaccination and often believe that the risks of vaccination outweigh their benefits. More research needs to be conducted to explore the impact of different types of communication strategies, which would frame the benefits of vaccination as well as risks of not vaccinating. Strategies to better inform public perceptions of vaccines should include the provision of unbiased, comprehensive information tailored to population information needs, and delivered using multiple and new communication technologies such as social media.

The link between the West African Ebola outbreak and health systems in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone: a systematic review.

BACKGROUND: An Ebola outbreak started in December 2013 in Guinea and spread to Liberia and Sierra Leone in 2014. The health systems in place in the three countries lacked the infrastructure and the preparation to respond to the outbreak quickly and the World Health Organisation (WHO) declared a public health emergency of international concern on August 8 2014. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the effects of health systems' organisation and performance on the West African Ebola outbreak in Guinea, Liberia and Sierra Leone and lessons learned. The WHO health system building blocks were used to evaluate the performance of the health systems in these countries. METHODS: A systematic review of articles published from inception until July 2015 was conducted following the PRISMA guidelines. Electronic databases including Medline, Embase, Global Health, and the Cochrane library were searched for relevant literature. Grey literature was also searched through Google Scholar and Scopus. Articles were exported and selected based on a set of inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data was then extracted into a spreadsheet and a descriptive analysis was performed. Each study was critically appraised using the Crowe Critical Appraisal Tool. The review was supplemented with expert interviews where participants were identified from reference lists and using the snowball method. FINDINGS: Thirteen articles were included in the study and six experts from different organisations were interviewed. Findings were analysed based on the WHO health system building blocks. Shortage of health workforce had an important effect on the control of Ebola but also suffered the most from the outbreak. This was followed by information and research, medical products and technologies, health financing and leadership and governance. Poor surveillance and lack of proper communication also contributed to the outbreak. Lack of available funds jeopardised payments and purchase of essential resources and medicines. Leadership and governance had least findings but an overarching consensus that they would have helped prompt response, adequate coordination and management of resources. CONCLUSION: Ensuring an adequate and efficient health workforce is of the utmost importance to ensure a strong health system and a quick response to new outbreaks. Adequate service delivery results from a collective success of the other blocks. Health financing and its management is crucial to ensure availability of medical products, fund payments to staff and purchase necessary equipment. However, leadership and governance needs to be rigorously explored on their main defects to control the outbreak.

Vaccine hesitancy among healthcare workers in Europe: A qualitative study.

Healthcare workers (HCWs) are often referred to as the most trusted source of vaccine-related information for their patients. However, the evidence suggests that a number of HCWs are vaccine-hesitant. This study consists of 65 semi-structured interviews with vaccine providers in Croatia, France, Greece, and Romania to investigate concerns HCWs might have about vaccination. The results revealed that vaccine hesitancy is present in all four countries among vaccine providers. The most important concern across all countries was the fear of vaccine side effects. New vaccines were singled out due to perceived lack of testing for vaccine safety and efficacy. Furthermore, while high trust in health authorities was expressed by HCWs, there was also strong mistrust of pharmaceutical companies due to perceived financial interests and lack of communication about side effects. The notion that it is a doctor's responsibility to respond to hesitant patients was reported in all countries. Concerns were also seen to be country- and context-specific. Strategies to improve confidence in vaccines should be adapted to the specific political, social, cultural and economic context of countries. Furthermore, while most interventions focus on education and improving information about vaccine safety, effectiveness, or the need for vaccines, concerns raised in this study identify other determinants of hesitancy that need addressing. The representativeness of the views of the interviewed HCWs must be interpreted with caution. This a qualitative study with a small sample size that included geographical areas where vaccination uptake was lower or where hesitancy was more prevalent and it reflects individual participants' beliefs and attitudes toward the topic. As HCWs have the potential of influencing patient vaccination uptake, it is crucial to improve their confidence in vaccination and engage them in activities targeting vaccine hesitancy among their patients.

Why children do not attend their appointments: is there a need for an interface between general practitioners and hospitals allowing for the exchange of patients' contact details?

OBJECTIVES: A service evaluation project on the reasons why children do not attend their outpatient appointments. DESIGN: Analysis of paediatric clinic lists over two consecutive days. Parents of the non-attenders were identified and their reasons for not attending the appointment were elicited using a survey. SETTING: The appointments were scheduled to take place in the Paediatric department at St. Mary's Hospital, London. PARTICIPANTS: Of the 201 appointments scheduled, 49 patients did not attend their paediatric appointment. Telephone contact was successful with 35 parents. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Parents were asked to verify if their contact details were correct, if they were aware of the appointment and if they had received a reminder. The reasons for non-attendance were explored. RESULTS: Of the 49 non-attenders, correct contact details were held on file for 24 of the patients (49.0%). Of the 35 parents contacted, 18 were aware (51.4%) of their child's appointment. CONCLUSIONS: This project revealed that the principal reason for non-attendance is unawareness of the appointment due to incorrect contact details held by the hospital. Potential strategies for reducing non-attendance at this paediatric outpatient clinic include developing a confirmation or reminder system and improved communication with parents. The creation of a new interface between hospitals and GPs would allow hospitals to access patient contact details held by GPs. It would also ensure that hospitals hold up-to-date patient contact details and that appointment details are effectively communicated to parents. The interface would automatically feed through any updated patient details, keeping hospital records current.