[Factors determining utilization of a Web site by parents in order to report side effects of vaccines]

Only a small percentage of adverse events following immunization (AEFI) are currently reported by physicians and nurses to the passive surveillance system. A solution to improve the sensitivity would be to involve parents in the reporting process via a Web-based platform.

This exploratory study sought to explore and identify factors that would influence online parental reporting of AEFI.

A total of 20 parents were recruited and interviewed individually during the first week of February 2007. Data were analyzed with the qualitative thematic content analysis method using qualitative software.

Most parents were not aware of the existence of an AEFI surveillance system but they acknowledge the importance and would be interested in contributing to this surveillance. Compared to paper form, they considered online reporting more appealing because it is perceived as taking less time and being less cumbersome. Most interviewed parents have access to Internet. Parents indicated they would be more inclined to participate in online AEFI reporting if their vaccine provider endorsed the website, and if it were a secure, interactive environment that also provided useful information on vaccination. Parents seemed more inclined to report severe as opposed to mild expected AEFI.

These middle-high class francophone parents identified no major obstacle to direct reporting of AEFI on a Website as long as this mode of reporting would be endorsed by their vaccine provider.