Vaccine Acceptance and Hesitancy among College Students in Nevada: A State-Wide Cross-Sectional Study

The purpose of this study was to identify factors related to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and hesitancy in a diverse state-wide population of students. An electronic survey was emailed to students in the Nevada System of Higher Education to assess effects of the pandemic. The survey included questions related to vaccine status, interest in receiving the COVID-19 vaccine, factors influencing these decisions, and sources of health information. Among the 3773 respondents, over half (54%) were accepting of the vaccine, including vaccinated students (18.9%). Nearly one quarter (23.5%) expressed hesitancy to receive the vaccine, citing concerns about side effects and the need for more research. Factors related to hesitancy included female gender, increasing age, place of residence, marital status, and Black or Native American race. Vaccine hesitant respondents were less likely than other respondents to rely on public health agencies or newspapers for health information, and more likely to rely on employers, clinics, or “no one”. Culturally appropriate efforts involving COVID-19 vaccine information and distribution should target certain groups, focusing on factors such as side effects, development and testing of the vaccine. Research should investigate sources of health information of people who are hesitant to receive vaccines.

NLM’s revolution in consumer health information to improve patient outcomes

Under the leadership of NLM Director Donald A.B. Lindberg M.D., the National Library of Medicine (NLM) continued to promote its services to the nation’s health care professionals and scientists. With support of the U.S. Congress, it initiated new communications and outreach programs and services directed at the general public that revolutionized their access to information as well. Because effective health communication must be tailored for the audience and the situation, Lindberg supported the development of online health information tools designed to help consumers find free, comprehensive, timely, and trustworthy sources of health information that, ultimately, can improve patient outcomes. New and popular consumer-friendly websites were championed by Lindberg, including MedlinePlus, and ClincialTrials.gov, and he formed unique partnerships with national physician organizations to educate their patients about reliable sources of health information from the NLM. A new era of timely and trusted online health information for the general public began in 2006 under Lindberg’s tenure culminating in the development, publication and distribution of NIH’s first consumer magazine, NIH MedlinePlus, featuring the research and findings of the NIH. In his effort to improve patient outcomes, Dr. Lindberg revolutionized the Library’s outreach capabilities and successfully expanded its mission to serve not only health professionals and scientists, but also consumers nationwide.

Preferences and Experiences of People with Chronic Illness in Using Different Sources of Health Information: Results of a Mixed-Methods Study

Background: People with chronic illness are particularly dependent on adequate health literacy (HL), but often report difficulties in accessing, understanding, appraising, and applying health information. To strengthen the HL of people with chronic illness, in-depth knowledge about how they deal with health information is crucial. Methods: To this end, quantitative data from the Second Health Literacy Survey Germany (HLS-GER 2) and qualitative data from seven focus group discussions were used to examine the interest in health information, preferred sources of information as well as experiences and challenges with information management among people with chronic illness. Results: The results show that people with chronic illness have a great interest in health information and use very different sources of health information, preferring personal information from physicians most. The results also point to several challenges in health information management that seem to be influenced by the illness duration as well as by the experiences made with the respective sources. Conclusions: Overall, the study provides important starting points for intervention development for the provision and communication of health-related information, but also to research on health information behavior and HL.

Disparities in cancer care delivery during the COVID-19 pandemic: An update of a prospective, cross-sectional study.

136 Background: Impact of COVID19 on cancer care delivery and outcomes remains unknown. Few trials have investigated patients’ perceived risks and benefits, and cancer care delivery (CCD) alterations related to COVID19. We sought to identify differences on behaviors and social determinants of health in Hispanics and other underrepresented populations (H/UP) compared to the general population (GP). Methods: An IRB-approved validated 27-item questionnaire was offered in English and Spanish to all pts receiving cancer care at participating cancer centers over a 6 month period. Examined variables included demographic information, social risk and behavioral factors, preferred sources of health information, and overall satisfaction with CCD during the pandemic. Results: A total of 245 pts were enrolled in the study. Compared to GP, H/UP’s perceived risk of COVID19 was higher with 92.4% vs 85.2% (p = 0.000) more likely to cancel or avoid social gatherings and 69.2% vs 32.1% more likely to change daily routine. H/UP appeared more concerned with personal and financial safety; if unable to find work/get paid for 2 weeks, 24.1% H/UP vs 13% GP would struggle to keep up with expenses. 33.7% H/UP vs 8.6% GP had concerns on ability to secure food and consider COVID19 a major threat to their health (63.9% vs 42.6%, p = 0.003) and financial situation (61.4% vs 35.8%, p = 0.001). H/UP’s perceived benefits of protective measures is higher with 97.4% vs 90.7% routinely practicing social distancing (SD) and 92.8% vs 64.2% in agreement with punitive actions for not following SD. Analysis demonstrated no significant difference by gender, level of education, marital status, however Hispanic ethnicity and Spanish as primary language were significant variables (p = 0.000) in perceived risks and satisfaction with CCD. No major differences were noted on sources of health information although more H/UP relied on social media (26.5% vs 24.7%). H/UP appeared more skeptical about availability and safety of targeted vaccines (28.2% vs 14.8%, p = 0.001). H/UP were less satisfied with CCD during the pandemic (72.1% vs 82.1%, p = 0.024) and also perceived CCD alterations (19.2% vs 7.4%). Conclusions: COVID19-related societal, financial, health and personal fears are increased in H/UP which likely negatively affects quality of life of these at-risk populations. H/UP’s trust in SD recommendations is heightened although linguistically and culturally appropriate information may be deficient. H/UP were more skeptical of the safety and availability of the vaccine, which is consistent with recent reports suggesting deeper fears of experimentation. Interventions aimed to decrease these differences could incorporate standard communications with special attention to social media.

Awareness of statin–food interactions using grapefruit as an example: a cross-sectional study in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia

Objectives The purpose of this study is to assess patients’ knowledge regarding statin–grapefruit interactions, to identify any pertinent demographic characteristics that may influence knowledge of this drug–food interaction, and to identify preferred patient sources of health information. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted to collect data from statins users about the awareness regarding drug interaction with foods. Self-administered questionnaires have been distributed to collect data from statins users regardless of the type and the reason they administer these medications. Respondents were statins users visiting the King Fahd Hospital’s outpatient clinic (KFHU) and community pharmacies in the Eastern province of Saudi Arabia. Key findings Our study revealed that 62% of statin users never heard about the statin–grapefruit interaction. Only 11% have correctly recognized the interaction effect. Only 11, 21 and 6% of users have reported that they often/always received information on drug–food interaction from pharmacists, physicians and nurses, respectively. Users aged above 60 years had lower awareness than those aged <40 (6.0% vs. 14.1%). Similarly, the proportion was lower among users who had primary or lower educational attainment, unemployed or had income lower than 5000 SAR compared with that among the contrary groups. However, only income showed a statistically significant association (P = 0.007). Conclusions The majority of statin users have never heard about their interaction with food. Geriatrics, low-income and less educated patients had a lower level of awareness compared with their counterparts. Many patients may end up discontinuing their medications because of that interaction and the consequent side effects. Pharmacists are requested to play their expected role in providing adequate patient counselling to help improve patients’ awareness regarding safety concerns of statins medication.

Association between willingness to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and sources of health information among Japanese workers: a cohort study

Background: It is important to achieve herd immunity by vaccinating as many people as possible to end the COVID-19 pandemic. We investigated the relationship between willingness to receive vaccination and sources of health information among those who did not want to be vaccinated against COVID-19. Methods: This prospective cohort study collected data using a self-administered questionnaire survey. The baseline survey was conducted during December 22-25, 2020, and the follow-up survey during February 18-19, 2021. Participants were aged 20-65 years and worked at the time of the baseline survey (N=33,087). After excluding 6,051 invalid responses, we included responses from 27,036 participants at baseline. In total, 19,941 people responded to the follow-up survey (74% follow-up rate). We excluded 7,415 participants who answered "yes" to the question "If a COVID-19 vaccine becomes available, would you like to get it?" in the baseline survey. We finally analyzed 12,526 participants. Results: The odds ratio for change in willingness to be vaccinated from "no" to "yes" differed by source of health information. Compared with workers that used TV as a source of information, significantly fewer people who reported getting information from the Internet and friends/colleagues were willing to get the vaccine. Conclusions: It is important to approach workers who do not watch TV when implementing workplace vaccination programs. It is likely that willingness to be vaccinated can be increased through an active company policy whereby the top management recommend vaccination, coupled with an individual approach by occupational health professionals.

Development of an Online Telepharmacy Service in the Philippines and Analysis of Its Usage During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Background: To augment traditional sources of health information at a time of reduced accessibility, a free online telepharmacy service was developed during the COVID-19 pandemic. Objectives: This study details the process of developing and operating an online telepharmacy service, analyzes its usage, and assesses users’ health information-seeking patterns. Methods: The service utilized various platforms for receiving and processing queries, communication, and promotion. Submissions received from March 20 to May 31, 2020 were processed for analysis. Parameters analyzed were time patterns of query submission, response time, service feedback, user and patient demographics, and subjects of inquiry. Results: A total of 271 queries were analyzed. Query frequency decreased over time, consistent with relaxation of quarantine restrictions and increasing availability of information. Peak hours of query influx were outside typical business hours. The majority of users were from the general public (93.8%) and preferred to receive responses through text (61.2%). The majority of users from the general public belonged to the 15- to 25-year-old age group (41.1%) and sought information for oneself. Most submissions mentioned COVID-related topics. From the general public, there was greatest interest in drug indications and vitamins, supplements, and herbal products, and from healthcare professionals, in drug procurement. Users who provided feedback (n = 12) all expressed satisfaction with the service and the information they received. Conclusion: Transition to the “new normal” entails adopting alternative platforms to augment traditional sources of health information. An online telepharmacy service may be utilized to provide and clarify medication information as part of primary care.