Provider and Practice Factors Associated With On-Time HPV Vaccination in Primary Care

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pediatrics
• Vaccinology

Background:

• In 2018, only one-third of adolescents completed the 2-dose human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine series by age 13.
• This falls short of the target for on-time vaccination, highlighting a critical public health concern.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify patient, provider, and practice-level factors associated with achieving on-time HPV vaccination.
• The study aimed to uncover modifiable targets for improving vaccination rates in primary care settings.

Main Methods:

• Data from 20 pediatric practices and 89 providers in St. Louis were analyzed.
• Methods included medical record review for vaccination status, provider surveys on knowledge and attitudes, and assessment of practice-level vaccine delivery systems (VDSS).

Main Results:

• On-time HPV vaccination completion was 43.10% and varied significantly across practices and providers.
• Key predictors for higher on-time vaccination included providers using the "announcement" style for vaccine recommendations (OR 1.18), higher provider self-efficacy in addressing parental hesitancy (OR 1.21), and a higher VDSS (OR 1.20).

Conclusions:

• Provider and practice-level factors are significant, modifiable determinants of on-time HPV vaccine uptake.
• Findings suggest potential intervention targets to improve adolescent vaccination rates, with future research recommended to test these interventions.