Evaluation of a decision-making aid for parents regarding childhood immunizations.

Abstract

This intervention study evaluates a decision-making aid for parents considering childhood immunizations. Participants (women in 3rd trimester of pregnancy, n = 100) rated likelihood of immunizing their child, anxiety, and perceptions of risk of the diseases and immunizations. Individuals were allocated to intervention group (received a decision aid) or control group (received standard care). Ratings were then repeated, and further ratings were obtained when the infant was 10 weeks old. The intervention compared with the comparison condition was associated with significant increase in likelihood of immunizing the infant on time, decreased perceptions of risks of immunizations, increased perceptions of risk of the diseases, reduced anxiety, and increased satisfaction. This intervention may form a useful basis for decision aids in health care settings.

Evaluating a web-based MMR decision aid to support informed decision-making by UK parents: A before-and-after feasibility study

“…Importantly, these changes may occur without affecting intention to immunize or evoking anxiety in parents. Our findings, consistent with those of Wroe et al 16 , suggest that promoting 'informed choice' (as opposed to persuading parents to vaccinate) has the potential to be an effective public health strategy, as parents do not appear to have been deterred from vaccinating. In this feasibility study, self-reported uptake of MMR vaccination at three months post-intervention was 88 per cent which is lower than the level required to achieve population immunity but slightly higher than local 30 and national uptake levels 2 .…”

What are the factors that contribute to parental vaccine-hesitancy and what can we do about it?

“…Wroe et al conducted a prospective interventional trial comparing the impact of a 20 page manual on the benefits and risks of childhood vaccinations to support vaccination decisions (intervention) to a less in depth 19 page leaflet published by the Ministry of Health (control). 46 Women in the intervention group were significantly more likely to immunize their infants on time compared with the control group (90% vs. 70%, respectively; P < 0.05). Sales et al evaluated changes in parental attitudes and vaccination intent after a school-based educational intervention on influenza vaccine by surveying parents before and after the intervention.…”

Cost effectiveness of a web-based decision aid for parents deciding about MMR vaccination: a three-arm cluster randomised controlled trial in primary care

“…10 The concern about using decision aids in the context of vaccination is that encouraging people to deliberate about their MMR beliefs may affect their motivation to vaccinate. [11][12][13] However, increasing evidence, 14,15 including the findings from the recently published Detailed Evaluation of a Childhood Immunisation Decision Aid (DECIDA) study, 16 suggests that decision aids for childhood vaccination decisions may actually achieve both informed decision making and increased vaccine uptake.…”