Online course

Sharing knowledge about immunisation

This module offered by the National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance is designed to help you adapt your vaccination communication skills, to effectively meet the needs of all parents.

  • Cost: free

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Accreditation

This activity has been approved for 2 points (CPD Activity) under the RACGP CPD Program for the 2020–2022 triennium (activity: 199701)

 

About

The National Centre for Immunisation Research and Surveillance (NCIRS) in partnership with The University of Sydney, and with the support of collaborators, has recently launched an innovative communications system and package to aid and inspire great conversations about immunisation.

'Sharing Knowledge About Immunisation – SKAI' consists of 2 websites and an eLearning module. We are pleased to offer the SKAI eLearning module to healthcare workers.

This module is designed to help you adapt your clinical communication skills to meet the needs of all parents, whether they are ready to vaccinate, have questions or intend to decline vaccination altogether. It teaches you how to use the SKAI system and equips you with strategies to assist immunisation consultations. We anticipate it will take approximately 90 minutes to complete this module..

More information about SKAI

SKAI provides:

  1. a suite of resources and information for parents and carers of babies and young children;
  2. vaccination communication support tools for healthcare workers, designed to support conversations about childhood vaccination.

The SKAI for parents website (www.talkingaboutimmunisation.org.au) contains plain-language, parent-centred, up-to-date and evidence-based information, including:

  • information about the National Immunisation Program for children between birth and 4 years of age;
  • answers to the common questions parents ask about vaccination;
  • information about recommended vaccines and the diseases they protect from;
  • animated videos:
    • about how parents can reduce vaccination pain and how they should care for their child in the days after vaccination;
    • describing a typical vaccination consultation;
    • introducing the team of researchers behind SKAI.

The SKAI for healthcare workers website (providers.talkingaboutimmunisation.org.au) contains the following information (also in downloadable format):

  • information to help you recognise parents who can benefit from your time and expertise (and avoid extended or confrontational interactions);
  • information to help you respond to parents’ questions or concerns;
  • a recommendation for structuring your vaccination consultations;
  • tips we gathered from experienced clinicians.

The website also contains information about vaccination for special risk groups and information about referral pathways available in your jurisdiction. (Also refer to Specialist immunisation services.) There is information about the vaccinations recommended at each milestone in Arabic, Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese languages. You will be able to access and navigate the SKAI for healthcare workers website by completing the SKAI eLearning module.

SKAI is designed to help you improve the quality and safety of the care you provide to your community.

 

Learning outcomes

Upon completion of the SKAI module, the learner should be able to:

  • distinguish the differing attitudinal positions of parents towards childhood vaccination to discern appropriate communication needs;
  • analyse the communication needs of parents to identify communication goals;
  • utilise the communication goals to select appropriate SKAI communication strategies and resources;
  • implement SKAI communication strategies with parents to maximise engagement and reduce vaccination hesitancy.
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