Slaying the HPV dragon with online resources

With so much unreliable information on the internet, it is the responsibility of health administrators to provide reliable, accurate educational materials. One way to do this is to create online resources for healthcare professionals.  These resources could not only improve the health and well-being of the populations we serve but could also positively impact health administration practices. This study focuses on the Human Papillomavirus (HPV) and how utilization of the vaccine could be increased with online resources.  Despite the vaccine’s efficacy many people are reluctant to have their daughters vaccinated.  The study begins by determining barriers to vaccination and exploring ways to overcome them by using online learning resources targeting healthcare providers in the Midwest. This topic was chosen because the National Cancer Institute suggests that more than 12,000 women in the U.S. were diagnosed with cervical cancer in 2013. More than 33% are expected to die from the disease. HPV, specifically types 6, 11, 16 and 18, are known to cause cervical cancer.  To combat the disease, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration licensed an HPV vaccine for females aged 9 to 26 in June of 2006.  The vaccine provides protection against HPV types 6, 11, 16 and 18. Types 16 and 18 alone are responsible for 70% of cervical cancer cases.  Accessible online resources can increase the utilization of the HPV vaccine and decrease the amount of women diagnosed with HPV and ultimately cervical cancer. These learning resources will contain content that instructs healthcare providers on how to address parents and guardians of age appropriate, unvaccinated girls. The goals include defining barriers, providing healthcare professionals with tools to talk to parents and guardians about the HPV vaccine, increasing the utilization of the HPV vaccine and ultimately reducing the number of women diagnosed with cervical cancer.