Marketability of a Technology-based Intervention to Increase HPV Vaccination

The purpose of this Phase II research project is to evaluate and market an innovative health
message intervention to increase uptake of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine and reduce
women's cervical cancer risk through partnership with Planned Parenthood. The overall aim is
to reach a broad population through Planned Parenthood, the nation's leading sexual and
reproductive health care center, especially among low socioeconomic status (SES) and
historically underserved populations. Despite an overall increase in vaccination and
reduction in HPV-related infections in younger populations targeted by previous health
promotion efforts, young adult women who are recommended for vaccination demonstrate much
lower vaccination rates and higher rates of infection. In a recent Phase I grant, we
developed and demonstrated the usability and feasibility of an innovative,
culturally-grounded, technology-based narrative intervention that delivers decision
narratives in the form of videos via a health kiosk, an underutilized communication strategy
for reaching less involved audiences. This brief, low-cost, easily implementable intervention
doubled the uptake of the vaccine in a separate pilot study. The proposed Phase II project
will: (1) Complete development of the intervention, (2) Evaluate its effectiveness through a
randomized clinical trial, and (3) Prepare the product for the market. To accomplish these
aims, we will develop the intervention for implementation in waiting rooms as part of
check-in procedures. Development includes programming and installing tablets to accomplish
these tasks (Aim 1). We will then conduct the evaluation study in four Planned Parenthood
clinics in southeastern Pennsylvania (Aim 2). Eligible women will be consented, complete a
pretest, and then randomized to view the brief intervention or attention control messages via
the tablet. After viewing the messages, they will complete a short posttest. Treatment
participants will receive follow up texts/emails reminding them to vaccinate, and all
participants will receive texts/emails with links that allow them to complete posttest
surveys at 3- and 9 months. Finally, we will prepare the intervention for the market that
includes not only Planned Parenthood but other clinics that are currently served by the
project partners as well as the broader market for HPV vaccination (Aim 3). In summary, the
proposed communication strategy has wide reaching implications not only for reducing cancer
risk, but more broadly for designing brief and easily implemented prevention messages across
many domains of public health. The research will also close the health disparities gap in
minority, under-served young adult women's access to preventive health care.

Inclusion Criteria:

- All English-speaking women clients of 4 Planned Parenthood clinics who are between 18
and 26 and have not been vaccinated.

Exclusion Criteria:

- Men, women who do not speak English or are not between 18 and 26 years old, anyone not
a client of the 4 Planned Parenthood clinics.