Using the CARD system for university-based pop-up vaccination clinics: A two-stage hybrid...

Area of Science:

• Public Health
• Pharmacy Education
• Vaccination Delivery Systems

Background:

• Mass vaccination clinics are crucial for public health.
• The Comfort, Ask, Relax, Distract (CARD) system aims to enhance vaccination experiences for recipients and providers.
• University-based clinics offer a unique setting for studying vaccination delivery frameworks.

Purpose of the Study:

• To implement and sustain the CARD system in university-based vaccination clinics.
• To evaluate the effectiveness of CARD on vaccine recipient experiences and symptoms.
• To assess the attitudes and behaviors of pharmacy student vaccinators regarding the CARD system.

Main Methods:

• A two-stage hybrid effectiveness-implementation study design.
• Stage 1: Before-and-after study in COVID-19 vaccination clinics (Nov-Dec 2022).
• Stage 2: Single cohort study sustaining CARD in COVID-19/influenza clinics (Nov 2023).
• Surveys assessed recipient experiences and symptoms; student vaccinators completed attitude/behavior surveys and focus groups.

Main Results:

• In Stage 1, significantly more recipients reported better experiences after CARD implementation (64.0% vs 33.6%).
• Lower fear and pain scores were observed post-CARD implementation.
• In Stage 2, 57.4% of recipients reported an improved vaccination experience.
• Pharmacy students demonstrated positive attitudes towards CARD's acceptability, feasibility, and sustainability with high fidelity.

Conclusions:

• The CARD system effectively improves vaccine recipient experiences in university-based clinics.
• CARD is a feasible and sustainable vaccination delivery framework for pharmacy student vaccinators.
• Implementing CARD is recommended for enhancing patient and provider satisfaction in vaccination settings.