2016 Grant Awards

The posters and papers listed below each grant arise from work facilitated through the grant funding.

Strategies to Enhance Influenza/Pneumococcal Vaccination Coverage among Rheumatoid Arthritis Patients

Principal Investigators: Colmegna, I; Lavoie, K.
Co-investigators:  Pelaez, S; Hazel, B; Panopalis, Pantelis; W, Brian; Dokumaci, A

Project Summary

Despite of the availability of effective influenza vaccines, a large number of people with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) who are at risk of influenza disease complications refuse to get the vaccine. This study allowed people living with RA and their health care professionals to identify facilitators and barriers of influenza vaccine uptake. Informed by a Cochrane review, we have developed and tested a multilevel intervention aimed at enhancing vaccine acceptance among RA patients. After performing a systematic review of the literature on interventions to improve vaccine acceptance among rheumatoid arthritis patients, we have developed a motivational communication (MC) educational strategy targeting health professionals that will be tested by the end of this year. As a result of this collaborative study, 4 students are working on immunization in RA, have communicated their initial findings in 2 manuscripts and are finalizing a third one. Importantly, a large number of patients have shared their opinions regarding influenza vaccine through participating in focus groups, structured interviews, surveys and intervention evaluation tools. This allowed developing a MC intervention for physicians based on patients’ feedback that will be soon tested.

Oral Presentations

What do People Living with Rheumatoid Arthritis and their Health Care Providers Consider Barriers or Facilitators for Influenza Vaccine Uptake?, Ines Colmegna, Canadian Rheumatology Association Annual Scientific Meeting, February 27-March 2, 2019.

Poster Presentations

Presented at the 2018 Canadian Rheumatology Association meeting.

Presented at the 2019 Canadian Rheumatology Association meeting.

Published Literature