HPV Mission: Identify and Immunize

The Panola pediatrics unit-based team increased the number of girls getting the human papillomavirus vaccine (HPV)—to help prevent a virus that increases the risk of cervical cancer—by age 13. The team worked with IT to identify eligible 11- and 12-year old girls. They contacted parents and made appointments, during which nurses discussed the importance of the vaccine. With IT, they modified the computer system to schedule the follow-up shots. In the first six months, the team got 10 percent of the target population started on the series of immunizations. Two years after the project’s kickoff, nearly 20 percent had gotten the complete series.

Here's What Worked

• Working with information technology staff to get a list of eligible 11- and 12-year-old girls, and contacting parents and making appointments for those patients
• Discussing the importance of the vaccine with patients and their parents
• Scheduling the two follow-up booster shots at the time of the first shot, which required working with IT colleagues to modify the appointment system

What can your team do with technology to reach out to members letting them know what screenings and vaccinations they need? What other means could your team use to reach patients in need of screenings?