Clinical trial finds that, while multicomponent strategy did not significantly boost HPV vaccination at fixed time points, initiation rates improved steadily over time
To evaluate the effectiveness of a multicomponent intervention in increasing HPV vaccination initiation and completion rates in pediatric primary care.
Key Findings:
At 24 months, HPV vaccine initiation rates were 80.1% in the intervention group versus 75.5% in controls.
Completion rates were 52.8% in the intervention group compared to 50.1% in controls at 24 months.
By 36 months, initiation rates were 82.0% in the intervention group versus 74.6% in controls, and completion rates were 57.8% versus 49.9%.
Statistically significant differences were not observed at individual time points, but a significant group-by-time interaction for vaccine initiation was noted (P = .04).
Clinicians in the intervention group reported improved communication practices and higher self-efficacy in addressing parental hesitancy.
Interpretation:
The intervention showed a growing effect over time, suggesting that structured facilitation and training can lead to cumulative improvements in HPV vaccination rates, despite not achieving statistically significant differences at discrete time points.
Limitations:
The COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the early implementation of the intervention.
The study's findings may require longer evaluation periods to fully capture the impact of the intervention.
Conclusion:
Sustained and long-term system-level support is crucial for improving HPV vaccination coverage, highlighting the complexity of behavior change in clinical settings.
