Using YouTube to Disseminate Effective Vaccination Pain Treatment for Babies

Abstract

BackgroundInfant vaccinations are necessary for public health, but are painful, causing distress to the infant and caregivers. Breastfeeding and sucrose effectively reduce infants’ pain during vaccinations, and these strategies are recommended in health care provider (HCP)-targeted education and vaccination pain guidelines. However studies show these strategies are infrequently used. YouTube is a popular medium to publicly share and watch videos, and many consumer posted YouTube videos show distressed infants being vaccinated with no pain treatment. The aims of this study were to evaluate the reach and impact of a consumer-targeted YouTube video demonstrating use of effective pain reduction strategies during infant vaccinations.MethodsA brief consumer-targeted video showing two infants being vaccinated was posted onto YouTube on October 2013. One infant was breastfed and another infant received sucrose by mouth before and during the injection. A link to a viewer survey was visible on a banner near the end of the video. An intensive strategically planned knowledge dissemination strategy using the media, social media and messages to professional organizations took place to promote the video. Data analysis of the viewer survey, YouTube analytics of the reach of the video in terms of number of views, country of viewers, and comments relating to the video took place 12 months after the video was posted.ResultsTwelve months after posting, the video had 65,478views, 68 comments, 245 likes, 17 dislikes, and 90 shares. Average duration of viewer time was 65% of the video. The viewer survey was completed by 156 (0.24%) viewers; 90 (58%) answered as HCPs and 66 (42%) as parents. Survey results showed that the video was persuasive; intent to use or support breastfeeding or sucrose was high in both parents and HCPs after viewing the video. Comments posted were often emotional in nature, and were related to anti-vaccination (n = 26, 38%); effectiveness or positive personal experiences (n = 21, 32%); research team comments or promotion (n = 12, 18%); pro-vaccination (n = 6, 8%) and barriers to using breastfeeding or sucrose during vaccinations (n = 3, 4%).ConclusionThe video posted onto YouTube demonstrating effective pain treatment during infant vaccinations was viewed by large numbers of people around the world, however the response rate to the linked survey was extremely low. Using YouTube videos for knowledge dissemination has an extensive reach, however it is difficult to evaluate impact on behaviours and practices.

Seja Doce com os Bebês: avaliação de vídeo instrucional sobre manejo da dor neonatal por enfermeiros

“…On the other hand, the "Be Sweet to Babies During Immunization" video on the use of breastfeeding and sweet tasting solutions during immunizations of infants and produced by the same group of Canadian researchers was viewed 65,478 times, and received 245 likes in a 12-month period (28) . Even more expressive visibility was reported in relation to the "The Power of a Parent's Touch" video (https://youtu.be/3nqN9c3FWn8), also developed by Canadians, with subtitles available in eight languages including Portuguese, and whose accessibility reached 157,938 parents and professionals from 154 countries (29) .…”

Use of the FacebookTM social network in data collection and dissemination of evidence

“…The video was inserted on the page, and it was decided to prevent the user from being redirected to YouTube, in order to encourage respondents to stay on the page. At the end of the video, a questionnaire was developed and validated for the Portuguese language, based on previous studies, 20,21 in which the questions were related to the respondents' profile, their prior knowledge of the video (yes/no), strategies for breastfeeding, skin-to-skin contact and using sweetened solutions for the relief of neonatal pain ("did you know ..."), the intention to use or encourage the use of these strategies for analgesia (yes/no), as well as questions related to the acceptability and utility of video (is it useful, yes/no).…”

Pharmacy students can improve access to quality medicines information by editing Wikipedia articles

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