Tongyue Yang
Research Mentor: Dhanalakshmi Thiyagarajan
Mentor Department: Obstetrics and Gynecology, Medicine
Author(s): Tongyue Yang, Dhanalakshmi Thiyagarajan, Isabel Reynoso
Session: Session 7 (4:00 PM – 4:50 PM)
Presentation Type: Poster 9
Abstract
Background: Cervical cancer remains a leading cause of morbidity and mortality among women in low-resource settings despite human papillomavirus (HPV) causing 95% of cancers and known preventative measures which could lower incidence and mortality. One of those preventative measures is HPV vaccination, but vaccination rates are low due to limited health care infrastructure, vaccine supply constraints, and low community awareness. Task shifting for intramuscular (IM) vaccine delivery may help address these barriers in low-resource settings as it allows for specific clinical responsibilities to be transferred from highly trained healthcare providers to less specialized health workers to increase access to HPV intramuscular (IM) vaccines in settings with limited trained staff, but effective dissemination requires context-appropriate device design. We aim to conduct a qualitative study exploring the need for and design requirements of a task-shifting device for IM vaccine delivery. Methods: We obtained institutional review board approval. Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with health care workers, community health workers, researchers, policymakers, and vaccine administrators who understand HPV vaccination in low-resource settings. Interviews will be conducted virtually via Zoom, transcribed verbatim, and analyzed using thematic coding, a qualitative method in which patterns within the data are systematically identified, organized, and interpreted to provide meaningful insights. Results: Preliminary work has focused on developing the interview guide through literature review and expert consultation. Stakeholders have been identified based on their experience with HPV vaccination programs and task-shifting initiatives. Initial deliverables include a finalized interview guide and a stakeholder contact list. Data collection through interviews is ongoing. Conclusion: We anticipate that analysis will identify key barriers to IM vaccine delivery and define system-level supports and device-specific design features required to enable safe and effective task shifting. Findings will inform the development of a context-appropriate, sustainable IM vaccine delivery device to support HPV vaccination and strengthen cervical cancer prevention efforts in low-resource settings.
