Patient vaccine awareness in an obstetric and gynecologic office setting

Abstract

The objective of our study was to better understand patient vaccine awareness in different ob/gyn settings. A masked questionnaire was completed by ob/gyn resident teaching clinic patients (CLINIC; n = 228) and private community physician patients (PVT; n = 254) exploring demographic, immunization recollection, and vaccine administration preferences. χ² and Student t test were used for statistical analyses. The results demonstrated that those in CLINIC compared with PVT were younger (27.2 ± 10.6 years old versus 38.0 ± 12.6 years old; P < .001) and more often presented for pregnancy-related visits (57.0% versus 21.6%; P < .001). PVT patients more commonly had documentation of childhood (34.3%) and adult (26.8%) vaccine status than those in CLINIC (25.6% and 15.5%, respectively; P < .03). Of the vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs) surveyed, those in PVT (versus CLINIC) more often reported adequate vaccination or prior exposure to measles (68.5% versus 30.5%; P < .001) and varicella (65.7% versus 48.5%; P < .001). No differences were noted between study groups for hepatitis B, tetanus, and influenza. Those in PVT more often identified a non-ob/gyn provider for vaccine-related needs, as opposed to those in CLINIC, who more often relied on ob/gyn or health department sites for such needs. Over one third of both populations could not identify a provider for vaccine administration. Both groups strongly desired availability of vaccine services through their ob/gyn office. We conclude that PVT patients demonstrate a better awareness of vaccine status compared with those in CLINIC. However, overall both populations report poor documentation and inadequate immunity against most VPDs. A variety of practice sites are currently used for vaccination, although many patients cannot identify a place to go. The majority of patients would like to see this service available as a part of their ob/gyn care.