Researchers from the Network for Social & Educational Equity at the University of Glasgow recently conducted a study on behalf of Public Health Scotland exploring attitudes and perceptions of practitioners and parents regarding digital consent for vaccinations of school-age children.
While this process is currently delivered on paper, elsewhere there have been pilots using online or digital methods of collecting parental consent for vaccinations (known as digital or e-consent). The research, which was carried out by Dr Joanne Neary , Kevin Lowden and Stuart Hall, explored the attitudes regarding replacing the current paper consent forms with a digital version.
For children and young people, the school represents a key location for vaccination delivery. Some vaccinations are delivered yearly (such as flu) and begin in primary school, while others such as HPV, tetanus/diphtheria/polio, and MenACWY (Meningitis, sepsis and septicaemia) are delivered once and in high school.
Before children and young people receive their vaccinations, they are required to receive consent from the adult responsible for their care at home (this could be a parent/grandparent/relative/carer/guardian). At present, children and young people are provided with a consent pack (containing letter, information leaflet and consent form) to be delivered to parents.
Public Health Scotland wanted to find out the barriers and facilitators to moving this process online (referred to as ‘digital consent’ or ‘e-consent’). While digital consent has been tested in various locations in England, either using a web portal with a unique sign in for parents, or an app for parents to download. But so far, no pilots have been conducted in Scotland.
Public Health Scotland asked researchers in the Robert Owen Centre and NSEE to conduct a scoping study to explore attitudes and perceptions of digital consent from the point of view of individuals working in schools (‘practitioners’) and also parent/carer/guardians.
The research was conducted across four local authorities (Argyll and Bute, Dundee, North Lanarkshire, West Dunbartonshire). A total of 103 parents and eighteen practitioners (across three high schools and six primaries) took part. Using a mix of online surveys and individual interviews, the research focused on general attitudes to digital communication, how schools support those who struggle to access this information, how vaccination consent is currently organised, and their attitudes and perceptions to digital consent for vaccinations.
Surveys and interviews with parents and carers found:
- Majority of survey respondents felt positive about online communications, as it reflected general culture- using digital devices to communicate seemed to be the “way forward” rather than relying on paper letters being delivered.
- Organisation of, and access to, information was a key issue for parents, with some parents reflecting the need to have hard copies on the fridge or to hand as an aide memoire, where others liked the ability to search inboxes for the information they want whenever they need it. However, others suggested that messages can get lost in inboxes, and there was a concern that important events or news could be missed.
- The majority of participants would be happy for vaccination consent to go online, although there was a mixed response to how much of the vaccination consent package should be online. Some parents preferred to have some elements remain on paper (e.g. the letter, or the information pack that accompanies the consent form).
- The qualitative interviews reflected how parents are a key step in ensuring the informed consent of children for vaccinations- talking through forms with them, answering questions and explaining the role of vaccinations in living a healthy life.
- This is in keeping with the United Nation Convention of Rights for the Child (UNCRC) Article 12 (“every child has the right to express their views, feeling and wishes in all matters affecting them and to have their views considered and taken seriously”) and Article 17 (“every child has the right to reliable information from a variety of sources and government should encourage the media to provide information that children can understand”).
