Clinical Research Directory

Communication Strategies to Increase HPV Vaccinations

This research aims to identify communication strategies to improve the uptake of vaccines using an experimental design, focusing on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine, which is highly effective in preventing HPV-related cancers. However, low HPV vaccination rates among adults remain a significant public health challenge. Although randomized controlled trials (RCTs) have demonstrated that interventions can increase vaccine uptake in children, few RCTs have been conducted among adults. To address this gap, a multidisciplinary investigative team with expertise in communication, medicine, nursing, and behavior-change intervention research will conduct a survey experiment and a cluster randomized controlled trial. First, a national sample of adults ages 18 to 45 who have not received the HPV vaccine or are unsure of their vaccination status will participate in a survey experiment to identify the most promising theory-based messages to strengthen HPV vaccine intentions. The two messages associated with the largest increases in vaccination intentions will then be selected for further testing. Next, 16 Penn Medicine primary care clinics will participate in a factorial cluster randomized controlled trial to test patient-level and clinic-level interventions designed to increase HPV vaccine uptake. Patient-level interventions will include theory-based text messages and a reminder-only message condition. The clinic-level intervention will provide healthcare providers with feedback on missed opportunities for HPV vaccination and a toolkit to support strong HPV vaccine recommendations. The study will evaluate whether these interventions increase receipt of the first HPV vaccine among eligible adult patients and whether combining patient-directed messages with the clinic-level intervention further increases HPV vaccination. HPV vaccination will be assessed using Penn Medicine electronic health records and, when needed, patient self-report.

Reducing Urban Cervical Cancer Disparities

This study uses a hybrid Type 1 effectiveness-implementation trial to operationalize and assess the efficacy of the Health Enhancement Resource System (HERS) intervention. HERS aims to increase patient follow-up after abnormal test results through text message-based barriers counseling for women and supplemental telephone-based Health Coaching for women who miss their appointment.

Psycho-emotional Impact of Preoperative Counselling in Cervico-carcinoma Screening Programs

The communication of an altered Pap smear or positive HPV test has a strong impact on patients on a psychological level. HPV positive women are more likely to have higher level of stress, anxiety, depression and impaired sexual life. The examiner want to establish this impact through different surveys (DASS-21 (Depression Anxiety Stress Scales); PCL-5 (Posttraumatic Stress Disorder Checklist); DTS (Dyadic Trust Scale), CDDQ (Cervical Dysplasia Distress Questionnaire) and MPI (Match Patient Inventory) from the moment the patient receives the news until after completing treatment for her intraepithelial neoplasia.