Use of website to provide parents with information about immunisations
Dear Editor, the internet has proved to be a powerful potential tool
for providing medical information to the general population. However
trying to assess just how valuable a tool it is - has proved difficult.
The authors of the paper 'Effects of a web based decision aid on parental
attitudes to MMR vaccination:a before and after study' are to be
congratulated in doing this. We have have, as of 2nd February 2006
launched another type of decision aid for parents about immunising their
children - based on a qualitative research study. This is now up on the
internet www.dipex.org/immunisation .
On this website, you can watch videos, listen to audio clips or read the
written extracts from interviews with over 40 parents of children under
the age of five explaining how they made decisions about their child’s
immunisation including the MMR vaccine. These parents from different
backgrounds and living in different parts of the UK, have a broad range of
experiences, including the many who have chosen to have their children
immunised as well as those who have not.
Topics covered include where they got information, how different
information sources influenced them, and which sources they trusted and
why; how they assessed risk, their concerns about immunisations including
MMR, their experiences of childhood diseases and their attitudes to
childhood immunisation in general. Reasons for their decision, their
child's reactions after immunisations and their feelings about the
decision they made are also included.
Evaluation of the website will include the questionnaire available on
the site for parents to fill in; along with how the site is used in terms
of hits and visitors.
The site will also be used for training health professionals by
prepared teaching packages using parent's views expressed on the site.
Competing interests:
Researching similar area of work. e.g. Parent's experiences of having their children immunised and outcomes - published on the internet.
Competing interests:
No competing interests
02 February 2006
Ann McPherson
lecturer University of Oxford, GP, medical director of DIPEX
Aidan Macfarlane
Department of Primary Care,University of Oxford, Old Road Campus, Headington. OX3 7LF
Rapid Response:
Use of website to provide parents with information about immunisations
Dear Editor, the internet has proved to be a powerful potential tool
for providing medical information to the general population. However
trying to assess just how valuable a tool it is - has proved difficult.
The authors of the paper 'Effects of a web based decision aid on parental
attitudes to MMR vaccination:a before and after study' are to be
congratulated in doing this. We have have, as of 2nd February 2006
launched another type of decision aid for parents about immunising their
children - based on a qualitative research study. This is now up on the
internet www.dipex.org/immunisation .
On this website, you can watch videos, listen to audio clips or read the
written extracts from interviews with over 40 parents of children under
the age of five explaining how they made decisions about their child’s
immunisation including the MMR vaccine. These parents from different
backgrounds and living in different parts of the UK, have a broad range of
experiences, including the many who have chosen to have their children
immunised as well as those who have not.
Topics covered include where they got information, how different
information sources influenced them, and which sources they trusted and
why; how they assessed risk, their concerns about immunisations including
MMR, their experiences of childhood diseases and their attitudes to
childhood immunisation in general. Reasons for their decision, their
child's reactions after immunisations and their feelings about the
decision they made are also included.
Evaluation of the website will include the questionnaire available on
the site for parents to fill in; along with how the site is used in terms
of hits and visitors.
The site will also be used for training health professionals by
prepared teaching packages using parent's views expressed on the site.
Competing interests:
Researching similar area of work. e.g. Parent's experiences of having their children immunised and outcomes - published on the internet.
Competing interests: No competing interests