Making a Shared Decision on Meningococcal B Vaccine: Provider Feedback on an Educational Tool Developed for Use With...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Immunization Practices
• Vaccine Education

Background:

• In 2015, the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommended Meningococcal B vaccination for individuals aged 16–23.
• Shared clinical decision-making between patients and providers is key for this recommendation.
• Implementation of this recommendation has faced challenges and confusion.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop educational materials for healthcare providers to facilitate shared decision-making for Meningococcal B vaccination.
• To create a patient handout to guide conversations about the Meningococcal B vaccine.
• To evaluate the utility and provider impressions of these educational materials.

Main Methods:

• Development of educational materials, including a patient handout, through expert consultation and literature review.
• Distribution of materials to 88 healthcare providers.
• Collection of provider feedback via surveys on material utility and impressions.

Main Results:

• The developed educational materials were highly valued by providers, with 93% willing to share with colleagues and 95% with patient families.
• Survey responses indicated that while materials were valued, some providers' discussion initiation methods did not fully support shared decision-making.
• Provider feedback highlighted the need for standardized approaches to Meningococcal B vaccine conversations.

Conclusions:

• The educational materials effectively support the initiation of conversations regarding Meningococcal B vaccination.
• The materials assist in standardizing provider discussions for Meningococcal B vaccine recommendations.
• These resources aim to improve the implementation of shared clinical decision-making for adolescent Meningococcal B immunization.