Frontline health workers: training needs assessment on immunisation programme. An EU/EEA-based survey

BackgroundAs part of continuing medical education, frontline healthcare workers (FHWs) have to maintain high standards of competence and knowledge. It is particularly true in the field of vaccination and vaccine acceptance, where knowledge and technologies evolve rapidly.MethodsFor this reason, we developed an anonymous 47-item web-based survey aimed to collect data about recent existing courses and FHWs' knowledge, learning needs and preferences for future courses, both in vaccinology and vaccine acceptance at the European level. The survey was conducted from October to November 2021, and disseminated through the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region (ASPHER) and European Centre for Disease Control (ECDC) networks by email.ResultsA total of 160 FHWs (63% females, 61% physicians) completed the questionnaire. Approximately half of the sample considered themselves skilled in almost all the explored areas considering vaccinology and vaccine acceptance. However, respondents were interested in attending courses regarding research and science and how to deal with misinformation and disinformation for the future. Moreover, an online version of the course, or at least a mixed format (in person and online), is considered the preferred format. Lastly, the most supportive materials in dealing with vaccinology and vaccine acceptance were short courses on specific topics.ConclusionsOur results are relevant to inform professional development staff in order to plan and implement more targeted courses in terms of educational training programmes and teaching formats that better match the interests and needs of FHWs.

Automated summary

As the field of vaccinology and vaccine acceptance rapidly evolves, frontline healthcare workers are required to maintain high levels of competence and knowledge. A survey was conducted to assess the current knowledge and learning needs of healthcare workers, as well as their preferences for future courses. The results showed a strong interest in courses related to research and science, as well as addressing misinformation and disinformation, with a preference for online or mixed-format courses.