Resending a consent form and information package to non-responders increases school-based consent return rate

Authors

Donna B. Mak, University of Notre Dame AustraliaFollow
Max K. Bulsara, University of Notre Dame AustraliaFollow
Leigh S. Goggin
Paul V. Effler

Publication Details

Mak, D. B., Bulsara, M., Goggin, L. S., & Effler, P. V. (2011). Resending a consent form and information package to non-responders increases school-based consent return rate. Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health, 35(1), 89–90. doi:10.1111/j.1753-6405.2010.00669.x

Abstract

Since 2007, the Australian immunisation schedule has included adolescent vaccinations for human papilloma virus (females), diphtheria, hepatitis B, pertussis, tetanus, and varicella-zoster year.¹ In Western Australian (WA) these vaccinations are offered via a year seven, school-based vaccination program.

Written consent is a pre-requisite for vaccination. Strategies undertaken to improve consent form return (termed return rate) include verbal reminders to the student and/or parent, giving another vaccination information and consent package to the student and/or their parent, and sending a written reminder to parents of students who had not returned a consent form. Class incentives have been used to increase return rate,² but had not been tried in WA. We aimed to investigate the effectiveness of these strategies on return rate.

Keywords

peer-reviewed