REAL Prevention (RP) is a LLC dedicated to commercializing innovative technologies for delivering evidence-based health promotion practices. RP's communication expertise in designing culturally-grounded prevention interventions using narrative strategies results in effective health messages to engage low knowledge, low awareness and resistant audiences. In partnership with St. Andrew Development (StA) and Planned Parenthood (PP), RP will assess the feasibility of a Smartphone kiosk intervention promoting HPV immunization to Planned Parenthood (PP) clients as part of a Phase I SBIR. HPV infection is the second most costly sexually transmitted infection in the U.S. accounting for HPV morbidity and linked cervical, anogenital, and oropharyngeal cancers. Vaccination for HPV has stagnated in the U.S., remaining lower than 10 percent in the PP population. Given the demonstrated benefit to vaccinating and the low level of awareness that serves as one of the primary barriers, it is important to identify new channels for communicating effective vaccine messages. This study will allow PP, which makes the vaccine available to uninsured patients at no cost and to the insured at a discounted cost, to harness StA's hybrid kiosk, text message, and mobile website technology to overcome vaccination barriers and reduce cancer risk. Key attributes of the unique Smartphone kiosk product that promises to revolutionize the prevention field are: (1) narrative (story-telling form) video messages delivered on kiosks that engage the audience and promote initial vaccination and (2) timely and personalized kiosk-driven text and mobile website messages to insure follow up and completion of the three-series vaccination through personalized vaccine reminder messages after the patients leave the clinic. The use of kiosk messages reinforced by text and web-based messages promises to significantly increase HPV vaccine initiation and series completion thereby, reducing HPV infection. Messages for this system will be based on formative research and piloted tested before being subjected to an independent usability test. Scalability and widespread dissemination of the Smartphone kiosk product is structurally built into the design of the study once feasibility is tested because PP waiting rooms operating similarly in every state utilize kiosk check-in and close to 100 percent of PP clients use mobile phones with a majority being Smartphone users. Scalability and efficacy will be tested in Phase II in a national randomized controlled trial. PP expresses enthusiasm about national distribution and StA will extend the reach of this prevention product to other existing clients serving women's health. The commercialization potential of RP's intervention kiosk Smartphone application is great with the PP and this extended market.
The goal of this SBIR Phase I project is to reduce cancer rates by developing a brief, easily implemented Smartphone kiosk intervention that increases human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination among Planned Parenthood clients. The intervention's innovative technology uses three communication channels (kiosk, text messaging, and mobile website) that promise to overcome immunization barriers among high risk but underserved low SES and minority populations.
