A Learning Health System Approach to Increasing Human Papillomavirus Immunizations Among Young Adults

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Preventive Medicine
• Health Communication

Background:

• Human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rates are suboptimal among young adults.
• Effective strategies to promote HPV vaccination in this demographic are not well-established.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of different outreach methods in encouraging HPV vaccination among young adults aged 18-26.
• To compare standard outreach with personalized secure messages and mailed letters.

Main Methods:

• A randomized clinical trial was conducted within a large integrated health plan.
• Young adults with insufficient HPV vaccination received an initial bulk secure message.
• Non-responders were randomized to receive no further outreach, a personalized secure message, or a mailed letter.

Main Results:

• Personalized secure messages (4.6%) and mailed letters (5.1%) showed a statistically significant increase in HPV vaccination compared to no additional outreach (3.5%).
• The observed increases in vaccination rates were not considered clinically meaningful.
• The study demonstrated the feasibility of rapid-cycle randomized trials for evaluating health interventions.

Conclusions:

• Supplemental outreach via mailed letters or personalized electronic messages can modestly increase HPV vaccination rates in young adults.
• Further research is necessary to identify more impactful strategies for improving preventive health uptake in this population.
• Rapid-cycle randomized evaluations are valuable for generating actionable data to inform implementation strategies.