Translating Research Findings Into Educational Messages and Materials

Background:  To address potential negative consequences arising from parents' questions and concerns about childhood vaccination, including, among others, increasing provider frustration in communicating with parents about vaccines, and the potential lack of understanding about the seriousness of vaccine preventable diseases among parents, a program of research was conducted to assess the extent of these and other KABs, the extent to which education/communication interventions would be appropriate, what strategies should be employed in the design of education/communication materials, and how well the materials addressed the needs of the intended audiences.

Program background:  For the development of a suite of materials ultimately entitled “Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Parents,” research, along with risk communication principles, informed the initial development of materials, and evaluation of initial materials informed their subsequent revision.  Specifically, materials were developed to assist providers in discussing vaccines with parents. Materials about diseases and the vaccines that prevent them--part of the provider suite--were also developed to provide the level and type of information demanded by parents whose questions and concerns about vaccines might lead them to refuse or delay vaccination. That is, these materials were designed for dual use: by providers to support them in answering commonly asked questions and by parents themselves seeking information.

Evaluation Methods and Results:  Materials from "Provider Resources for Vaccine Conversations with Parents" will be presented and discussed, including how research informed decisions about the various strategies employed.  One evaluation method used during development--online materials testing with parents--will be presented, including the rationale for the selection of this method, the development of the survey, the results, and lessons learned for future surveys. Results were positive:  For example, among 100 parents who read a factsheet about measles disease and MMR vaccine, 88% reported that they would read most or all of the fairly complex sheet written at about grade 10 level;  86% found at least ½ the content to be new; 99% found the sheet “somewhat” or “very” useful; 92% found it “very easy” or “easy” to understand; 87% trusted the information “somewhat” or “very. Although 12% had increased concerns, some of the increased concern was over the seriousness of the disease and the harm in delaying vaccination.  Some was an increase in concern over vaccine safety or side effects.

Conclusions:  The research-based and risk-communication strategies employed in the fact sheets were successful overall, with no serious unintended consequences.

Implications for research and/or practice:  When resources permit, and when online panels are representative of the target audience, online testing of initial materials provides rapid, useful insights into successful strategies and potential unintended consequences of education/communications materials.