270 - Collaborating, Creating and Evaluating a COVID-19 Vaccine Education for Pediatricians Curriculum

Poster Number: 270
Publication Number: 270.331

Vishal Naik, Northwestern University / Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL, United States; Pavan Zaveri, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Shannon E. Clark, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States; Kristin Kan, Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children's Hospital of Chicago, Chicago, IL, United States; Brian R. Lee, Children's Mercy Hospitals and Clinics, Kansas City, MO, United States; Doug Opel, University of Washington School of Medicine, Seattle, WA, United States; Erica Popovsky, Lurie Children's Hospital, Chicago, IL, United States; Dennis Ren, Children's National Hospital, Washington, DC, United States; Joelle Simpson, Children's National Health System, Washington, DC, United States; Jennifer Watts, Children's Mercy Hospital, Kansas City, MO, United States; Marjorie White, University of Alabama School of Medicine, Birmingham, AL, United States; Angela L. Myers, Children's Mercy Kansas City, Kansas City, MO, United States

Background: As the COVID-19 pandemic evolves, attention to the vaccination effort has intensified. With the emergency use authorization for the vaccination of children, pediatricians now have to navigate the COVID-19 field of vaccination discussions in the setting of a rapidly changing virus.

Objective: To promote COVID-19 vaccine acceptance through knowledge, logistic, and communication strategies for pediatric providers via an online educational curriculum.

Design/Methods: A collaboration of five institutions from around the country was convened to develop this online educational intervention. Utilizing the collaboration’s combined expertise in general pediatrics, pediatric infectious diseases, medical education, simulation, and disaster preparedness, we developed a three module curriculum. The modules focused on sharing the basics of the COVID-19 vaccine, implementing a vaccine clinic, and creating a simulated opportunity to discuss the vaccine with parents. To assess knowledge, a fourteen question knowledge evaluation tool was developed. A pre-survey and follow-up survey primarily assessed confidence.

Results: One-hundred fifty-two pediatric providers participated; 72 completed both pre and post surveys. The median score on the pre-survey was 78.6% and on the post-survey was 92.9% (p < 0.001). There was an increase in confidence in the post-survey that persisted in the follow-up survey (Table 1). In the post survey, 97.7% of participants had the opportunity to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine with patients and most reported that the modules decreased apprehension some or significantly (Table 2).Conclusion(s): This project demonstrates the rapid and feasible deployment of an innovative curricular initiative focused on providing up-to-date information to front-line providers responsible for having complex conversations about COVID-19 vaccine decision-making. As a result, providers who completed this initiative had increased, sustained confidence and decreased levels of apprehension when discussing COVID-19 vaccine acceptance.
Table 1. Change in Confidence in Discussing COVID-19 Vaccines
Table 2. Effect of Curriculum on Apprehension to Discuss COVID-19 Vaccine