Communicating with Patients about Immunization a Resource Kit from

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Communicating with Patients about Immunizationa
Resource Kit from
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Background

• NNii started by conducting research with parents
  to see
• What information they needed
• Where they currently were receiving information
  about immunization

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NNii discovered...

• Health care providers are perceived by parents to
  be the most trusted source of immunization
  information.
• Nearly all parents surveyed indicated that they
  have access to the information they need to make
  good decisions about immunization and that their
  childs health care provider was meeting their
  information needs.

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NNii discovered...

• Most parents (87) understand the benefits of
  immunization and support its use.
• However, as many as 1 out of 4 have important
  misconceptions that may undermine their
  confidence in vaccines.
• Gellin BG, Maibach EW, and Marcuse EK. (2000).
  Do parents understand immunization?
• A national telephone survey. Pediatrics, 106
  (5), 1097-1102.

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Specifically...
Gellin BG, Maibach EW, and Marcuse EK. (2000).
Do parents understand immunization? A national
telephone survey. Pediatrics, 106 (5),
1097-1102.
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The Conclusion

• The parents relatively high rate of
  misconceptions and the relatively low perceived
  need for additional information about
  immunizations is worrisome.
• There is a need for better, systematic patient
  educational effort and development of
  comprehensive materials and resources that
  address common misconceptions.

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The Challenges...

• Misconceptions held by some parents could
  undermine their confidence in vaccine safety and
  could lead to reduced immunization rates and a
  resurgence of vaccine-preventable diseases.

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The Challenges...

• Health care providers have both an important
  opportunity and a professional obligation to
  educate parents and correct misconceptions, yet
  many said that they need help in answering
  parents concerns quickly and effectively.

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The Goal of the Resource Kit

• It is designed to help parents most trusted
  sources for immunization informationphysicians,
  nurses, and other health care providersdiscuss
  these complex issues effectively in a short
  period of time.

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Qualities of the Resource Kit

• Written by immunization experts and
  risk-communication specialists to provide
  objective, science-based, accurate, timely
  information.

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The most current version is available at NNiis
web site at www.immunizationinfo.org
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Materials can be photocopied

• All materials photocopy well
• NNii encourages all practitioners to utilize
  these materials as they see fit (for seminars,
  patients handouts, or whatever!)
• Every page is dated to show when it was last
  revised.

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Resource Kit Components

• A series of talking points for use by the
  clinician at each childhood immunization visit
  (e.g. at 2-month, 4-month, 6-month)

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Resource Kit Components

• Background information for each recommended
  vaccine CDC Vaccine Information Statement (VIS)
  for each vaccine, which Federal law requires to
  be provided at time of immunization

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Resource Kit Components

• Two other vaccine-specific patient handouts,
  developed by NNii to supplement the VIS
• Important Facts for Parents to Know
• Frequently Asked Questions

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Frequently Asked Questions Handout
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What the NNii vaccine-specific patient handouts
provide

• An understanding of the vaccine.
• A description of the corresponding diseases
  symptoms and the risk of infection.
• An overview of possible vaccine side effects.
• Guidelines for what parents should do if their
  child has an adverse reaction.

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User-Friendliness of the NNii Handouts

• Written in patient-friendly language.
• Use a consistent style and layout for ease of
  reference and understanding.
• Use both percentages and a fraction (x/ 10,000)
  that is consistent for every vaccine, so risks
  and benefit ratios can be easily compared from
  one vaccine to another.

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The Kit also contains

• Information on each vaccine recommended for adult
  use
• The CDC VISs
• NNii patient handouts

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The Kit also contains

• The recommended childhood immunization schedule

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Adolescent/Adult Recommended Immunization Schedule
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The Childhood Catch-Up Schedule
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Contraindications/Precaution by Conditions
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Contraindications/Precaution by Vaccine
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The Resource Kit answers general questions, such
as

• Are vaccines safe?
• How are vaccines tested?
• How do vaccines work?
• Do vaccines use up or overload the immune
  system in infants or children?

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The Resource Kit contains extensive information
on

• How vaccines work.
• History and achievements of vaccines.
• How vaccines are selected for routine use.
• How vaccines are recommended and become law.
• How vaccine safety is monitored.

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References and Other Resources

• A Guide to Internet and Hotline Resources.
• A Bibliography, including full citations for all
  sources used in the preparation of the Resource
  Kit, so that interested users can review the
  source material.

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Feedback is welcome

• NNii is committed to continuous improvement of
  this resource tool.
• Feedback can be provided by
• Fax [phone]
• Toll-free call [phone]
• Online fill out a feedback form at
  www.immunizationinfo.org/feedback/kitFeedback.cfm.
  
• E-mail info_at_immunizationinfo.org

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Questions?