Cassidy Chason

Jefferson Einstein Medical Center
United States

Abstract Title: HPV Vaccination Initiation in the ED

Biography:

Research Interest:

Introduction: According to the Centers for? Disease Control? and Prevention? (CDC), nearly 36,500 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer related to Human Papilloma Virus (HPV) infection annually. HPV vaccination rates remain well below the national goal of 80%, with the most recent data showing only 58.5% of adolescents are vaccinated.? To increase vaccination rates and decrease HPV-related disease, identifying alternative venues for vaccination has been encouraged. Methods: A retrospective chart review of patients aged 11-to-45-years-old seen at Jefferson Einstein Obstetrics and Gynecology offices in 2023 revealed 439 HPV vaccination initiation encounters, representing a mere 3.82%?of the patients seen for non-obstetric visits.? We propose that utilizing our busy urban Emergency Department (ED) as a novel venue for HPV vaccination will increase vaccination rates in the community. Through multidisciplinary collaboration, we have added Gardasil-9 vaccines to our ED Pharmacy and created a workflow for administration. Results: IRB approval and grant funding have been obtained to track HPV Vaccination ICD codes and collect patient data for prospective analysis and interpretation of vaccine completion based on patient demographic, gender, and age. Our project is ongoing. To date, we have administered 20 vaccines in a 5-month period with plans to vaccinate at least another 100 with our multidisciplinary effort. Conclusions/Implications: Our initiative introduces North Philadelphia to equitable vaccination access and simultaneously addressees an important healthcare disparity. If the ED proves to be a successful venue for increasing HPV vaccination rates, our model can serve as an innovative framework for institutions across the nation to further mitigate healthcare disparities and prevent HPV-related disease.