Effect of educative reminder telephone calls on human papillomavirus immunization rate

ISRCTN ISRCTN58518971
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN58518971
Secondary identifying numbers 2020-3319
Submission date
08/06/2020
Registration date
27/07/2020
Last edited
10/10/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Cancer
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English summary of protocol

Background and study aims
Accounting for 569,847 new cases and 311,000 deaths in 2018, cervical cancer is classified as the fourth most frequent female cancer worldwide. Human papillomavirus, a sexually transmitted disease, is identified as the source of 99.7% of cervical cancers. Being the cause of essentially all cervical cancer, HPV is also related to vulva, vaginal, oropharyngeal, penis and anal cancers as well as genital warts. Available for more than a decade, HPV immunization is a very safe and effective primary prevention measure. The third and last available HPV vaccine launched in 2014 has been approved for females aged 9 to 45 and males aged 9 to 26. Unfortunately, despite being a largely preventable disease, wild variation in HPV coverage is observed among women depending on their race, incomes, geography and education level. To date, there is no research evaluating the use of educational phone calls to increase the HPV vaccination rate, particularly in a high-risk population. The aim of this study is to measure the effect of educative reminder telephone calls on HPV immunization rate.

Who can participate?
Women who agree to get a prescription of HPV vaccination and understand French

What does the study involve?
Participants will be randomly allocated to receive one (control group) or three (intervention group) phone calls to inform them about the HPV vaccination and also to answer their questions. The rate of HPV vaccination is measured after 6 months.

What are the possible benefits and risks of participating?
The only drawbacks for patients are having one (control group) or a few (intervention group) phone follow-ups. No visit is planned. Participants will receive $15 in compensation at the end of the study.

Where is the study run from?
Sherbrooke University Hospital Center (Canada)

Where is the study starting and how long is it expected to run for?
July 2019 to June 2020

Who is funding the study?
1. Sherbrooke University (Canada)
2. Merck Company Foundation (USA)

Who is the main contact?
Dr Jessica Ruel-Laliberté
jessica.ruel-laliberte@usherbrooke.ca

Contact information

Dr Korine Lapointe-Milot
Scientific

3001 12e Avenue N
Sherbrooke
J1H 5N4
Canada

Phone +1 (0)819 346 1110
Email korine.lapointe-milot@usherbrooke.ca
Dr Jessica Ruel-Laliberte
Public

3001 12e Avenue N
Sherbrooke
J1H 5N4
Canada

ORCiD logoORCID ID 0000-0002-6108-838X
Phone +1 (0)819 346 1110
Email jessica.ruel-laliberte@usherbrooke.ca

Study information

Study designInterventional single-blnid randomized controlled trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typePrevention
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use contact details to request a participant information sheet (available in French)
Scientific titleEffect of educative reminder telephone calls on human papillomavirus immunization rate: a randomised controlled trial
Study objectivesReminder educative phone calls increase the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination rate in adult women age 18 to 45 with risk factors of cervical cancer.
Ethics approval(s)Approved 25/09/2019, Sherbrooke Research Ethics Committee (3001, 12e avenue Nord, Sherbrooke, Canada; +1 (0)819 346-1110 #12856; ethique.recherche.ciussse-chus@ssss.gouv.qc.ca), ref: 2020-3319
Health condition(s) or problem(s) studiedPrevention of cervical cancer
InterventionThe randomization schedule will be done in blocks of 6 in a 50:50 ratio. Allocation will only occur once the consent will be obtained. A secured order list made by a computer generator will determine the group allocation of each patient. Only the two principal authors will have access to the secured computer list for the reminder educative telephone calls. Given the nature of the intervention, study investigators and research coordinators will not be blinded to treatment allocation.

All eligible participants will be given an initial recruitment questionnaire where risk factors of cervical cancer and immunization status are assessed. The risk factors identified are based upon a clinical gynecology oncology reference book (L. Stewart Massad, 2018). They will receive a file containing a three-dose HVP vaccine prescription, vaccination clinic contact list and an HPV virus information brochure from the Canadian Obstetric Gynaecology Society.

If a participant is assigned to the intervention group, she will receive a total of three standardised phone calls made by either the same author or one of the two research medical student involved at 1, 3 and 6 months after randomisation. During the first two interventions, callers will need to follow the instruction of an educative script and at each intervention call, participants will verbally inform research team if they got vaccinated and if not, investigators will ask what barriers they faced. If barriers identified concern lack of patient knowledge, the research team will provide a specific answer to any questions and calm any doubts or fear. If it concerns a logistical issue such as a loss of a prescription or not knowing where to get vaccinated, a new prescription will directly be made at the pharmacy and the vaccination clinic contact list will be provided by email or discussed by phone.

The control group will receive a phone call at 6 months to assess HPV immunization status and barriers to vaccination.

When patients do not answer phone calls, a total of two callbacks will be made and an email will be sent with the script and the two questions. Patients who will complete the study will receive a check by mail of 15 Canadian dollars each as a reward for their participation.
Intervention typeBehavioural
Primary outcome measureRate of HPV vaccination at 6 months after randomisation
Secondary outcome measures1. Rates of vaccination measured using phone call at 6 months for high-risk patients in intervention and control groups. High-risk patients are categorized as presenting one or more of these risk factors: smoker or past smoker, more than two sexual partners in the past 12 months, low education status (high school or college), history of abnormal pap smear or had their last pap smear more than 3 years ago
2. Type and frequency of barriers to vaccination in intervention and control groups mentioned by non-vaccinated patients in a phone call at 6 months
3. Type and frequency of barriers to vaccination in intervention group mentioned in phone calls at 1 and 3 months which were overcome by recall calls
Overall study start date01/07/2019
Completion date01/06/2020

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
SexFemale
Target number of participants142
Total final enrolment130
Key inclusion criteriaWomen are eligible for study enrollment if:
1. They agree to get a prescription of HPV vaccination
2. Understand French
Key exclusion criteriaWomen who:
1. Do not know their HPV immunization status
2. Refuse vaccination
Date of first enrolment01/10/2019
Date of final enrolment10/10/2019

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Canada

Study participating centre

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
3001, 12e Avenue Nord
Sherbrooke
J1H 5H3
Canada

Sponsor information

Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke
Hospital/treatment centre

3001, 12e avenue Nord
Sherbrooke
J1H 5N3
Canada

Phone +1 (0)819 346 1110
Email ethique.recherche.ciussse-chus@ssss.gouv.qc.ca
Website http://www.chus.qc.ca/en/
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/020r51985

Funders

Funder type

Industry

Merck Company Foundation
Private sector organisation / Trusts, charities, foundations (both public and private)
Location
United States of America
Université de Sherbrooke
Government organisation / Universities (academic only)
Alternative name(s)
University of Sherbrooke, UdeS, UDS
Location
Canada

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date01/07/2020
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareYes
IPD sharing plan summaryAvailable on request
Publication and dissemination planPlanned publication in a high-impact peer-reviewed journal.
IPD sharing planThe datasets generated during and/or analysed during the current study are/will be available upon request from Dr Jessica Ruel-Laliberté (jessica.ruel-laliberte@usherbrooke.ca).

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article 01/01/2021 30/03/2021 Yes No
Protocol file in French
version 1
17/07/2019 10/10/2022 No No

Additional files

38414 Protocol v1 17July2019.pdf
in French

Editorial Notes

10/10/2022: Uploaded protocol (not peer-reviewed) as an additional file.
30/03/2021: Publication reference added.
09/06/2020: Trial's existence confirmed by Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Sherbrooke.