Interactive Narrative–Based Digital Health Interventions for Vaccine Communication: Protocol for a Scoping Review (Preprint)
Authors: Haji Said Ahmed , Winskell Kate , Bednarczyk Robert A , Reardon Erin E , Vasudevan Lavanya 
Published: February 2024

BACKGROUND

Interactive narrative–based digital health interventions hold promise for effectively addressing the complex determinants of vaccine hesitancy and promoting effective communication across a wide range of settings and vaccine types. Synthesizing evidence related to the implementation and evaluation of these interventions could offer valuable perspectives for shaping future strategies in vaccine communication. Prior systematic and scoping reviews have examined narrative-based vaccine communication interventions but not the inclusion of interactivity in such interventions.

OBJECTIVE

The overall objective of the scoping review is to summarize the evidence on the use of interactive narrative–based digital health interventions for vaccine communication. Specific research questions focus on describing the use of interactive narrative–based digital health interventions (RQ1), describing evaluations of the impact of interactive narrative–based digital health interventions on promoting vaccine uptake (RQ2), and factors associated with their implementation (RQ3).

METHODS

A detailed search string will be used to search the following databases for records that are relevant to the review questions: PubMed, Embase, Scopus, Web of Science, CINAHL, and PsycINFO. Two reviewers will independently screen the titles and abstracts of identified records against the predefined eligibility criteria. Subsequently, eligible records will undergo comprehensive full-text screening by 2 independent reviewers to assess their relevance to review questions. A data charting tool will be developed and used to extract relevant information from the included articles. The extracted information will be analyzed following the review questions and presented as a narrative summary. Tabular or graphical representations will be used to display review findings, as relevant.

RESULTS

Public health informationists were consulted to develop the detailed search strategy. The final search string comprised terms related to narrative communication, digital health, and vaccines. The search string was customized to each proposed publication database and implemented on April 18, 2023. A total of 4474 unique records were identified using the search strategy and imported into the Covidence (Veritas Health Innovation Ltd) review management software for title and abstract screening. Title and abstract screening of identified records are ongoing as of December 29, 2023.

CONCLUSIONS

To our knowledge, this will be the first scoping review to investigate the features of interactive narrative–based digital health interventions and their role in vaccine communication. The goal of this study is to provide a comprehensive overview of the current research landscape and identify prevailing gaps in knowledge. The findings will provide insights for future research and development of novel applications of interactive narrative–based digital health vaccine communication interventions.

INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT

DERR1-10.2196/51137