Increasing the Uptake of the HPV Vaccine through Motivational Interviewing and Standardized Provider Education

Human papillomavirus (HPV is the most common sexually transmitted infection(STI) in the United States, with an estimated 80% of sexually active people contracting it at some point. HPV can cause cervical, vaginal, and vulvar cancers in females, as well as anal cancer and genital warts in males. However national data demonstrates less than 50% of females are fully vaccinated. This quality improvement project aimed to bridge the gap in young women who did not receive the vaccine during childhood as well as increase knowledge about HPV, transmission, vaccination, and testing. The interventions used to facilitate the education included an HPV pamphlet and direct education with the trusted provider using motivational interviewing techniques. Pre and post tests were given to 48 participants that assessed HPV knowledge and intent to vaccinate. Participants included females < 27 years old with thirty-six participants who fully completed all aspects of the QI project at an OBGYN private practice. The intent to vaccinate in the pretest was 8% and posttest was 67%, with a percent increase of 700%. The pretest HPV knowledge average test score was 72% with an average post test score of 91%. The results of the project add to the body of evidence-based practice knowledge and clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of education with a strong provider recommendation in increasing vaccination uptake. The methods and modalities used for this project could easily be implemented in any practice following this particular patient population such as university student health systems or family practices.