An Online Tailored COVID-19 Vaccination Decision Aid for Dutch Citizens: Development, Dissemination, and Use

Since December 2019, COVID-19 led to a pandemic causing many hospitalizations and deaths. Vaccinations were developed and introduced to control viral transmission. In the Dutch context, the decision to accept vaccination is not mandatory. An informed decision is based on sufficient and reliable information, in line with one's attitudes and values, and with consideration of pros and cons. To support people in informed decision-making, we developed an online COVID-19 vaccination decision aid (DA).

This article aims to describe the development, dissemination, and use of the DA.

Building on a previously developed DA, the COVID-19 vaccination DA was developed in 3 phases following a user-centered design approach: (1) definition phase, (2) concept testing, and (3) prototype testing. End users, individuals with low literacy, and experts (with relevant expertise on medical, behavioral, and low literacy aspects) were involved in the iterative development, design, and testing, with their feedback forming the basis for adaptations to the DA.

The DA was developed within 14 weeks. The DA consists of 3 modules, namely, Provide Information, Support Decision-Making, and Facilitate Actions Following a Decision. These modules are translated into various information tiles and diverse functionalities such as a knowledge test, a value clarification tool using a decisional balance, and a communication tool. The DA was disseminated for use in May 2021. Users varied greatly regarding age, gender, and location in the Netherlands.

This paper elaborates on the development of the COVID-19 vaccination DA in a brief period and its dissemination for use among Dutch adults in the Netherlands. The evaluation of use showed that we were able to reach a large proportion and variety of people throughout the Netherlands.