A Multimodal Approach to Decreasing Hesitancy and Increasing Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine in the Family Care Setting

Author

Meghan Zwierzynski, Valparaiso University

Date of Award

5-10-2022

Degree Type

Evidence-Based Project Report

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice (DNP)

Department

Nursing

First Advisor

Nola A. Schmidt

Abstract

Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has swept across the world, infecting and killing millions of people, making it one of the worst pandemics in history (WHO, 2021). However, the rates of confirmed cases and deaths have slowed since the discovery of the COVID-19 vaccine. The purpose of this evidence-based practice (EBP) project was to decrease vaccine hesitancy and increase uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine in the family care setting. The Iowa Model-Revised (Iowa Model Collaborative, 2017) is a practical, effective multi-step change process that acted as a guide for the EBP project. A review of literature showed that written patient reminders, electronic patient reminders, education provided to patients and education provided to healthcare providers (HCPs) were effective interventions to increase vaccine uptake. The EBP project’s multimodal intervention consisted of an educational session with HCPs in the clinic, informational brochures, and vaccine reminder cards given to patients during their visits to the clinic. All adults 18 years of age and older who sought care in a Northern Indiana family care clinic during the 10-week implementation period received the intervention. COVID-19 vaccination status was the outcome of interest and was assessed by reviewing electronic chart records. Patients who had not yet received a dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at baseline were followed up with four weeks later to assess their post-intervention vaccination status. Reviewing the electronic chart records initially and then placing telephone calls to obtain the remaining records accomplished data collection. Frequency, expressed as a percentage, was calculated to evaluate the change in COVID-19 vaccination rate and thus the success of the intervention. The EBP project found a 5.6% increase in the COVID-19 vaccination rate among participants 4 weeks after being exposed to the multimodal intervention. Although there was an increase in vaccination rate, it was not large enough to represent a statistically significant result (RR = 0.969). Therefore, the multimodal intervention was not effective at decreasing vaccine hesitancy and increasing uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine and future research and EBP projects are needed on the topic.

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Recommended Citation

Zwierzynski, Meghan, "A Multimodal Approach to Decreasing Hesitancy and Increasing Uptake of the COVID-19 Vaccine in the Family Care Setting" (2022). Evidence-Based Practice Project Reports. 181.
https://scholar.valpo.edu/ebpr/181