Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates Among Adolescents In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project

Author

• Chioma Rosemary Ike, Prairie View A&M University

Date of Award

8-2026

Document Type

DNP Project

Degree Name

Doctor of Nursing Practice

Degree Discipline

Nursing Practice

Abstract

Background: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the United States. It is the most common viral infection of the reproductive system, and it is responsible for most cervical cancer cases worldwide. Many HPV-related cancer deaths can be prevented simply through vaccination. The vaccine is most effective when administered before exposure to the virus. Despite the HPV vaccine’s proven safety and efficacy, its uptake remains suboptimal. Purpose: This quality improvement (QI) project trained providers at a pediatric and family clinic in an effective communication strategy to increase HPV vaccination uptake among adolescents. It encouraged providers to deliver a unified, confident message about HPV vaccination at every adolescent encounter. PICOT Question: Among providers in a primary care setting (P), does the addition of provider training on the Same Way, Same Day approach to the current practice of automated reminders, patient/parent education, and electronic medical record prompts (I), compared with current practices alone (C), increase the adolescent HPV vaccination initiation rate (O) within 3 months (T)? Method: A single-group, pre-post-intervention design was employed to assess changes in the adolescent HPV vaccine initiation rate following the intervention. The intervention involved training providers on an effective communication strategy, the Same Way, Same Day approach. The primary outcome was an increase in the HPV vaccination initiation rate, assessed using the chi-square test for independence. Results: The post-intervention analysis showed that provider training in the Same Way, Same Day approach increased adolescent initiation rates for HPV vaccination. In the pre-intervention period, 37% of adolescents received an initial dose of the HPV vaccine; post-intervention, the rate rose to 83%, an increase of 46 percentage points. Conclusion: The results of this QI project demonstrated that training providers in effective communication for HPV vaccination increased adolescents’ initiation rates in a primary care setting. This project reinforces the critical role of primary care providers in promoting preventive healthcare and reducing the long-term burden of HPV-related cancers.

Keywords: human papillomavirus, vaccination, HPV vaccine, pre-intervention, post-intervention, adolescents, providers, initiation rate, effective communication, primary care setting

Committee Chair/Advisor

Chloe Gaines

Committee Co-Chair:

Shannon Chopp

Committee Member

Sharisse Hebert

Committee Member

Karen Powell

Publisher

Prairie View A&M University

Rights

Date of Digitization

9/29/2026

Contributing Institution

J B Coleman Library

City of Publication

Prairie View

MIME Type

Application/PDF

Recommended Citation

Ike, C. (2026). Increasing Human Papillomavirus Vaccination Rates Among Adolescents In The Primary Care Setting: A Quality Improvement Project. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.pvamu.edu/dnp-projects/31