Des Moines HPV VAC Project: Enhancing Clinical Communication Skills and Physician Recommendation program The biggest predictor of HPV vaccination uptake is an effective recommendation from a health care provider. To build on Mercy Clinic’s efforts to engage and train our clinical and non- clinical staff to ensure consistent, positive message delivery to parents and patients regarding HPV vaccinations and to use human-interest stories to increase staff investment. Goal  to invite a HPV vaccination communication specialist who can help educate Des Moines area primary care clinicians on how to effectively communicate with parents and patients, with the goal of increasing our HPV vaccination rates.

HPV VAC Planning Partners

Chair, American Cancer HPV Vaccination Roundtable Noel Brewer, PhD Chair, American Cancer HPV Vaccination Roundtable Professor, Department of Health Behavior; Adjunct Professor, Department of Psychology, UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health

Grand Rounds Presentation to DMU Medical Students – 196 attendees RESULTS: Provider Education Event (Included Communication Skills Training and Survivor Panel) 50 Attendees Grand Rounds Presentation to DMU Medical Students – 196 attendees Research Exploration and Conversation with DMU Researchers and leaders Health System Leadership lunch meeting and invitation to commit to increasing HVP VAC rates

“The event was a great success. But this is just a start “The event was a great success. But this is just a start. We still have a long way to go!” -Dr. Tim McCoy, Mercy Clinics

What’s next? Our Project goal is to recruit 6 Mercy physician educators or Advanced Practice Clinicians (APC) to be trained to deliver Dr. Noel Brewer’s HPV Vaccine “Announcement Approach”. Each of the educators will then train staff in all Mercy Clinics. Mercy Physician Educators will deliver Announcement Approach Training(s) to other health care providers as requested by their clinics. During these one-hour sessions, the Physician Educator will provide didactic instruction on HPV vaccination, reasons for parent hesitancy, communication training, and assessment and feedback of HPV vaccination coverage. Provider recommendation for HPV vaccination is critical for motivating uptake. Training providers to use announcements resulted in a clinically meaningful increase in HPV vaccine initiation among young adolescents