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Please note that you are viewing an archived section from 2021 and some content may be unavailable. To unlock all content for 2021, please visit the archives.

Abstract: PO0092

Navigating Vaccine Hesitancy in a Hemodialysis Clinic

Session Information

Category: Coronavirus (COVID-19)

  • 000 Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Authors

  • Murphy, Kathleen, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Lee, Jean, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Zanikos, Lauren, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Widenr, Lori Lee, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Pareja, Leonor Villaroman, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Enderle, Louise, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Petyo, Christina, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Frazier, Evetta C., Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Clerge, Marie, Dialysis Clinic Inc, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Kwaidah, Othello, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Ahmed, Ziauddin, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Gadegbeku, Crystal A., Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
  • Gillespie, Avrum, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Background

Pre-vaccination, SARS-CoV2 infected 20% of our hemodialysis clinic with a 48% mortality. Vaccine access and hesitancy are significant barriers to vaccination among minority groups. Over 90% of our patients self-report as Black or African American, thus we created a multidisciplinary vaccine navigation program to optimize COVID-19 vaccination.

Methods

We surveyed the patients’ vaccination attitudes before the vaccine was available. All care team members: patient care technicians, nurses, social worker, dieticians, and nephrologists were educated to provide the patients with the efficacy and safety of the vaccine. Our affiliate hospital had an mRNA vaccine clinic.

Results

Over 60% responded to the survey, 18% said they would decline vaccination and 39% were unsure. Figure 1 shows the growth of the percentage of patients receiving one and two doses of the vaccine. The first patient received a dose on 1/9/2021. On 1/28/21, the hospital vaccine clinic invited dialysis patients who used the hospital’s services. On 2/4/21, we provided the hospital a complete list of patients. On 2/11/21, a vaccine hotline was implemented and a renal dietician became the dialysis clinic's vaccine navigator scheduling and tracking patients’ vaccine appointments, avoiding conflicts with their dialysis times and coordinating transportation. Nurses documented vaccinations. A spreadsheet was emailed weekly to team members to track vaccinations and to remind patients of vaccine appointments. All of the staff discussed vaccination with patients who were hesitant or declining the vaccine. By 5/4/21, 89% of the patients had received at least one dose, 79% had received two doses.

Conclusion

Although many patients had vaccine hesitancy, the growth curves show the rapid adoption of the vaccine. The main barrier to the vaccine was access. Multidisciplinary care in the hemodialysis clinic can facilitate access to care and may be a model for navigating kidney transplantation.

Figure 1