Increasing Human Papillomavirus Knowledge in Rural Patients

Abstract

Purpose: The purpose of this quality improvement (QI) project was to implement and evaluate a consistent Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine education program in a family planning clinic serving rural residents as a part of a doctoral nursing scholarly project.

Sample: Female patients aged 18 to 26 years who had not received prior HPV vaccination

Method: Demographic and survey data were collected from participants to assess the change in knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccination. McNemar’s Chi-square analysis was used measure the effectiveness of the education program.

Findings: Six of the 13 survey items had statistically significant differences in pre- and post-survey scores. There was increased knowledge about HPV and HPV vaccination among all participants.

Conclusions: Based on the results of this quality improvement project, education can improve knowledge about HPV, its health outcomes, and the vaccination. Increased knowledge can increase the uptake of the HPV vaccine, thus reducing rates of related negative health outcomes.

DOI:  https://doi.org/10.14574/ojrnhc.v24i2.767