We find our national healthcare systems locked in an epic battle with the coronavirus pandemic in what is usually a busy back-to-school vaccination season. As of late June 2020, half of U.S. states are seeing a surge in new coronavirus cases.
It is imperative that we ensure protection of all children from vaccine-preventable diseases. We cannot wait and risk measles and flu outbreaks or jeopardize protection from future cancers.
The medical home is more important than ever for population health.
Whether it’s a pediatric or family practice, a community health center, a health department or a minute clinic, a family’s usual source of care can protect their children from multiple vaccine-preventable diseases.
Creative solutions are now in play at many practices as we’ve adapted to the pandemic. We must expand access to well-child visits in July and August to get adolescent vaccination back on track.
To provide your organizations with current guidance and resources, we’ve created a new package of resources to get adolescent vaccination back on track this summer:
Health Systems Playlist: A suite of 6 new videos to message to population health and quality improvement leaders and immunizers the importance of prioritizing an adolescent vaccination plan.
Health System Infographic: an interactive handout linking to new CDC resources and a custom playlist of supporting videos
Vaccination During COVID-19: Curated webpage with resources from national organizations to help guide decision making and processes during the pandemic.
Parent Playlist: a suite of 4 new videos messaging to parents of adolescents why it’s important to vaccinate their child, how to access the Vaccines for Children Program, and how to find or access care.
Parent Infographic: an interactive handout for practices and systems to share with parents to build their confidence in bringing their adolescents in for well-child visits.
Jump to:
Why Prioritize HPV Vaccination?
We would argue that protecting patients against future cancers is the right thing to do.
Consider this as well: Does your current HPV vaccination rate represent your organizational commitment to adolescent population health?
If not, let us tell you why your health system should prioritize HPV vaccination:
1. Prevent Cancer
HPV vaccination helps prevent 6 cancers (check out the latest evidence) and properly immunizing your patients is the standard of care.
2. Achieve the triple aim
HPV vaccination delivers on the triple aim:
- It improves the patient experience of care
- It improves the health of populations
- It reduces the per capita cost of health care
3. Improve population health
Health systems have access to large numbers of patients offering robust opportunity for significant impact on cancer prevention. HPV vaccination protects adolescents from becoming adults with HPV cancers and builds “herd” immunity. Check out this article from AMGA’s Group Practice Journal in October 2019.
4. Improve key performance measures
Payers may encourage improvements to adolescent measures in alignment with Healthy People 2020, HEDIS or the Medicaid core set for children. Your system may have incentive opportunities to explore.
5. Provide Leadership
Without an organizational imperative, providers and/or clinic sites may not know their HPV vaccination rates or current HPV vaccination guidelines and messaging. The mission needs to come from the top. Our Action Guide for Large Health Systems outlines how leadership can implement the requisite changes.
Key Prioritization Resources
Prioritization Tools
Prioritization Videos
Spotlight: Health System Success Stories
Why start from scratch when you can learn from early adopters? Learn of implementation recommendations from several health systems that have already undertaken HPV initiatives in their systems.
Health System Case Studies
Lessons Learned Videos
Health Systems Materials
Interventions for Health Systems
We have resource galore from our member organizations to support interventions.
Staff Training and Education
IT Interventions
Communication Resources
We have resource galore from our member organizations to support interventions.
Social Media Shareables
Survivor Stories
Hearing from an HPV cancer survivor may be compelling to your system leadership and staff. Listen to first person and caretaker accounts of why we should prevent HPV cancers.
