Improving Influenza Vaccination Rates in Nurses Through Text Message Reminders : a RCT

NCT02589574 | Unknown DMC

• 1 other identifier: UW15-383
• Study Type: interventional
• Target: 537
• Locations: 1 country
• Sites: 1

Brief Summary

Influenza is an important cause of medical visits and worker absenteeism among healthy adults. Studies of healthcare providers vaccination programmes have reported a positive effect in lowering rates of influenza like illness and influenza related complication, hospitalisation and death. Nurses should receive influenza vaccination so that those patients who may come in contact with will not be infected by their nurses. However, the immunization rate among nurses is constantly low. Therefore, it is important to develop an intervention programmes to increase immunization of nurses. In some research on electronic text messaging in promoting public health showed potential of this communication system in preventive health behavioural change. With the use of this widely acceptable, accessible and convenient approach of communication, reminders of receiving influenza vaccination are sent to nurses involved in this study. At the same time, educational messages are sent to modify their perception on the positive effect of influenza vaccination, and therefore, motivate the nurses to receive the vaccination. The study will be conducted as a two-arm randomised controlled trial which the control and intervention groups will run concurrently. Nurses of a local hospital are invited to participate in this study. They will receive the usual announcement on the information of free influenza vaccination of the hospital. The participants of the intervention group will also receive text message reminders on details for free influenza vaccine and educational information. All communication occurred through secure, asynchronous electronic text messages. The reminders and educational information are developed with reference to promotion messages from the Department of Health under the framework of Health Belief Model so as to promote positive perception on influenza vaccination by the participants. Participants are invited to complete the pre and post questionnaires before and after the study period. The influenza vaccination status of the participants and their perception on influenza vaccination will be obtained. It is hypothesised that the participants receiving the reminders and educational information will more likely to receive influenza vaccine and perceived the influenza vaccination as important measure in protecting them from influenza. The participants of the intervention group will also receptive to electronic text messaging communication and education.

Conditions

Influenza

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcomes (1)

• The receipt of an influenza vaccine dose by Feb 2016 as reported by the participants

  up to 5 months

Secondary Outcomes (2)

• The proportion of participants seeking out influenza vaccination

  up to 5 months

• The proportion of participants of intervention group receptive to electronic text messaging communication and education

  up to 5 months

Study Arms (2)

Control

NO INTERVENTION

Subjects of the control group will receive the usual announcement on the dates and times of offering free influenza vaccination, and reminder from hospital, and access to informational flyers posted at the hospital

Intervention

EXPERIMENTAL

Subjects of the intervention group besides the usual information same as those stated in the control group, will receive four reminders on dates and details for free influenza vaccine. Together with the reminder, electronic text messages of educational information will be received

Other: electronic text message

Interventions

electronic text message OTHER

Besides the reminder of the free vaccination, the messages included information that vaccination reduces the personal risk of influenza illness. It also reduces the risk to infect patients and family members. It is also the social expectation on and professional as well as personal responsibility of nurses in protecting own selves and their patients from contacting influenza. it is a safe vaccine. The reminders are developed with reference to promotion messages from Hospital Authority.

Intervention

Eligibility Criteria

• Sex: all
• Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Age Groups: Child (0-17), Adult (18-64), Older Adult (65+)

You may qualify if:

• qualified nurses who are employed in the local hospital during the period of study
• owned smart phones with electronic text messaging function
• willing to provide their active mobile telephone numbers
• who have already received influenza vaccination prior to the commencement of the study period or those have history of allergy to flu vaccine will be excluded

Sponsors & Collaborators

• The University of Hong Kong: lead

Study Sites (1)

United Christian Hospital

Hong Kong, China

RECRUITING

MeSH Terms

Conditions

Influenza, Human

Condition Hierarchy (Ancestors)

Respiratory Tract Infections; Infections; Orthomyxoviridae Infections; RNA Virus Infections; Virus Diseases; Respiratory Tract Diseases

Study Officials

• Marie Tarrant, PhD

  The University of Hong Kong

  STUDY DIRECTOR

Central Study Contacts

Angela YY Cheung, MEd

CONTACT

852 9717 3974; cheungyukyinangela@gmail.com

Marie Tarrant, PhD

CONTACT

tarrantm@hku.hk

Study Design

• Study Type: interventional
• Phase: not applicable
• Allocation: RANDOMIZED
• Masking: SINGLE
• Who Masked: INVESTIGATOR
• Purpose: HEALTH SERVICES RESEARCH
• Intervention Model: PARALLEL
• Sponsor Type: OTHER
• Responsible Party: PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR
• PI Title: Doctorate degree student

Study Record Dates

• First Submitted: October 15, 2015
• First Posted: October 28, 2015
• Study Start: November 1, 2015
• Primary Completion: August 1, 2016
• Study Completion: August 1, 2016
• Last Updated: July 28, 2016

Record last verified: 2016-07

Locations

CN (1)