431 - Medical Dental Integration Increases Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates

Poster Number: 431
Publication Number: 431.323

Jessica Jack, University of Colorado School of Medicine, Denver, CO, United States; Scott hamilton, Denver Health, denver, CO, United States; Mark T. Durniak, Mark Durniak, Erie, CO, United States

Background: Healthy people 2030 aims for 80% of children to be fully vaccination against the human papilloma virus (HPV) by age 15, however as a nation we fall short of this goal with only 54% of patients having received their recommended doses.  After the age of nine, children typically see their oral health provider more often than their primary care provider. Dentists are key players in preventative health who routinely screen for oral cancer and counsel on HPV prevention and there is an opportunity for interprofessional collaboration to identify and vaccinate adolescents who are overdue for the HPV vaccine during dental visits.

Objective: The aims of this project are to increase HPV vaccination rates by 5% at a large federally qualified healthcare center (FQHC) and broadly increase access to HPV vaccination by offering the vaccine during routine dental visits.

Design/Methods: The project occurred at a large urban FQHC at five dental clinics that were co-located within medical homes. Data was collected from 4/1/2022-11/30/2022. A shared integrated electronic health record was utilized to identify patients ages 9-17 who were overdue for the HPV vaccine at a dental visit. Oral health providers then counselled on and offered the HPV vaccine to patients and if they agreed to vaccination it was administered during the dental visit by a co-located medical assistant or nurse from the medical home. Same-day vaccination rates and impact of vaccines administered in dental clinics was determined by chart review.

Results: Prior to the intervention 54% of patients across all sites were fully vaccinated against HPV.  Across all sites, 16% (N=241) of patients who were identified as overdue for HPV vaccination received vaccines during their dental visits. This contributed to a 7.2% increase in HPV vaccinations across the institution and contributed to a 61% vaccine completion rate across the institution. At one particularly successful site, 27% (N=80) of patients identified as overdue for the HPV vaccine received it, and this was responsible for 10% of all HPV vaccines administered at that site.

Conclusion(s):

Patients are receptive to receiving the HPV vaccine at the recommendation of their oral health provider. This highlights that impactful role that oral health providers can play in HPV vaccine delivery to increase vaccine access and vaccination rates. We plan to expand this program to other integrated healthcare institutions and use this data to drive policy to include oral health providers as vaccinators against HPV.