Educational Overview

HPV is the leading cause of cervical cancer and is responsible for a large percentage of genital, anal and oropharyngeal cancers in both men and women. The CDC estimates that 80 million Americans are infected with at least one type of HPV and 14 million are newly infected each year. Vaccination is highly effective and has the potential to prevent over 90% of HPV-related cancers, or over 31,000 cases each year. However, barriers to vaccination have severely impeded efforts to fully protect eligible patients. In addition to vaccine hesitancy, the COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in a substantial drop in primary care visits for adolescents and young adults. This has limited the number of opportunities to educate patients and caregivers about the risks of HPV infection and the benefits of vaccination. To overcome barriers to vaccinate, primary care providers must take a proactive approach to communicate with patients so they can make an informed decision about immunization. This activity will review the current burden of HPV-related cancers, assess the latest clinical evidence linking HPV vaccination with cancer prevention, and discuss effective communication strategies to ensure that patients and/or caregivers understand the value of vaccination.

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

At the conclusion of the educational activity, the learner should be able to:

• Describe the burden of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection in causing anogenital and oropharyngeal cancers in men and women
• Appraise the latest clinical evidence demonstrating the impact of HPV vaccination on the incidence of HPV-related cancers
• Apply communication techniques to address and overcome barriers by healthcare providers and patients on HPV vaccination

TARGET AUDIENCE 

This activity is designed as a comprehensive approach to address the practice needs of primary care providers, including primary care physicians, osteopathic physicians, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, and allied healthcare professionals, who are at forefront of caring for adult patients eligible for immunizations and/or at risk for vaccine-preventable diseases.

EDUCATIONAL FORMAT

This online presentation builds competence, confidence, and skills in the understanding of how to utilize patient-provider communication and therapeutic approaches to improve patient health outcomes while reducing disease burden.

The presentation covers the following topics:  

• Prevalence of HPV infection across ages and genders
• Types and incidence of HPV-related cancers in men and women
• Long-term safety and efficacy results of HPV vaccination
• Tactics to adhere to ACIP guideline recommendations
• Utilizing a shared decision-making approach to overcome barriers to vaccination

FACULTY

Rachel Caskey, MD, MAPP Chief, Division of Academic Internal Medicine and Geriatric Departments of Internal Medicine and Pediatrics University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL