Factors influencing rates of human papillomavirus vaccination

Failure modes and effects analysis (FMEA) was used to identify ways in which community clinic practices related to suboptimal human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates could be improved.

FMEA is a standardized safety method that helps determine where processes fail, the impact of failures, and needed process changes. In a quality improvement initiative conducted at an academic health center-based community clinic, a multidisciplinary team used FMEA to map HPV vaccination processes and identify areas for improvement of vaccination practices. Risk priority numbers (RPNs) were assigned to identified failure modes based on likelihood of occurrence, likelihood of detection, and ability to correct locally. Failure modes with the highest RPNs were targeted for process improvements.

High RPN failure modes were related to clinic processes for follow-up, immunization status checks during well-child visits, and vaccination discussions during sick-child visits. New procedures included scheduling follow-up vaccinations and reminders during the initial vaccination appointment. HPV immunization rates improved following implementation of these procedures, indicating that clinic processes focused on patient follow-up can impact vaccination series completion.

FMEA processes can help health systems identify workflow barriers and locally relevant opportunities for improvement. Team-based approaches to care process improvements can also benefit from standardized problem identification and solving.