Identifying Medical Residents’ Perceived Needs in Vaccine Education though a Needs Assessment Survey

This article was migrated. The article was not marked as recommended. Background: Vaccine education during residency is not standardized. Little is known about resident perspectives on vaccines and ideal vaccine training. Methods: A convenience sample of pediatric and family medicine (FM) residents were surveyed using a de novo 22 question survey to understand perspectives on vaccines and current and preferred vaccine education curriculum. Responses were analyzed categorically and compared by resident year using Fisher's Exact test. Results: In October 2016, 126 residents from 9 pediatric and FM programs completed the survey. Resident respondents' training levels varied. Most were 25-29 years old and female. High familiarity with vaccines and agreeing to defer recommended vaccine(s) increased with additional years of training (p<0.01). Most residents want to learn more about vaccine risks, benefits, and communication skills. Preferred training modalities were in-person lectures, online modules, and continuity clinic didactics. Residents rated MMR and Hib vaccines as "highly important" more frequently than they did so for HPV and influenza vaccines. One fifth of respondents reported some degree of hesitancy regarding vaccines. Conclusion: Results provide insight on framework and scope for development of a vaccine education curriculum. Identification of vaccine hesitancy among residents and the rating of certain recommended vaccines as of variable importance underscores the need for resident vaccine training.