Background

Due to COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, health-related concerns, and lockdowns, routine adolescent immunization rates declined substantially.

Aims

We sought to assess whether online education would improve pediatricians' knowledge, competence, and confidence related to adolescent vaccinations.

Methods

Pediatricians participated in a 30-minute video lecture. Educational effect was assessed using a repeated-pair design with pre-/post-assessment. 3 questions assessed knowledge/competence, and 1 question rated on a Likert-type scale assessed confidence. A paired-samples t-test was conducted for significance testing on the overall average number of correct responses and for confidence rating, and a McNemar’s test was conducted at the question level (5% significance level, P <.05). Cohen’s d with correction for paired samples estimated the effect size of the education on the number of correct responses (<.20 modest, .20-.49 small, .59-.79 moderate, ≥.80 large). Data were collected from 12/11/20 to 3/1/21.

Results

Average knowledge/competence improved from 50% to 59% (N= 1,777, P<.001, Cohen’s d = 0.34) among pediatricians.

Relative improvements post-participation in specific areas were as follows (P<.001):

10% improvement among pediatricians in findings related to identifying vaccines routinely recommended by the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP).

28% improvement among pediatricians related to correctly identifying if a 9-year old male patient is eligible for the HPV vaccine.

35% of pediatricians had a measurable increase in confidence in their ability to collaborate with the interprofessional team to increase vaccine uptake among adolescents during the pandemic.

Conclusions

This study demonstrated the success of a 30-minute video lecture at improving pediatrician's knowledge, competence, and confidence related to recommendations for adolescent vaccines.