P3.228: Effect of an Online Module Addressing Pediatric Vaccine Hesitancy on Medical Students' Knowledge

Background: Despite strong evidence supporting vaccine safety and efficacy, pediatric vaccine hesitancy remains prevalent. Addressing this public health concern requires healthcare providers to skillfully engage in discussions about vaccines with patients and families. The use of motivational interviewing has been shown to be effective in addressing vaccine hesitancy. We developed an interactive online module to enhance medical student knowledge of the use of motivational interviewing to address pediatric vaccine hesitancy. This study worked to evaluate the efficacy of an interactive online learning module to improve medical student knowledge and use of motivational interviewing skills to address pediatric vaccine hesitancy.

Methods: All second-year medical students at a medical college completed the online module. Pre- and post-intervention knowledge quizzes (8 identical multiple-choice questions in random order) were also completed with no feedback provided. After completing the online module and pre- and post-intervention quizzes, all students completed an identical standardized patient (SP) activity requiring the use of motivational interviewing skills to address vaccine hesitancy with the parent of a 15-month-old daughter for a routine health visit to discuss vaccinations. The SP activity was scored using a standardized 14-item checklist. The primary outcome assessed was mean difference between pre- and post-intervention quiz scores (paired t-test). Overall performance on the SP activity was assessed as a secondary outcome.

Results: A total of 120 students completed the module; of which, 104 were included in the final analysis. The 16 participants who were not included in the final analysis were excluded for any of the following: denying data usage consent (5), missing post-test scores (8), or not completing the SP activity (3). The mean knowledge score of participants increased from 53.25 (SD ± 23.50) to 80.29 (SD ± 18.41), with a mean increase of 27.04 points (95% CI: 21.34–32.74). The mean SP activity performance score was 86.51 (SD ±10.00).

Conclusion: The use of an interactive online is effective in increasing medical student knowledge on the use of motivational interviewing to address pediatric vaccine hesitancy. This intervention offers a flexible, interactive approach to prepare future healthcare providers to effectively address vaccine hesitancy, a critical skill amid ongoing public concerns surrounding immunization.