Transtheoretical Model Of Change

Individuals who inject drugs are at high risk for Hepatitis B virus (HBV) and Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection through the sharing of needles and drug-preparation equipment (CDC, 2016). A large disparity exists between those infected with hepatitis and those who are unaware of their diagnosis. “Between 2.7 and 3.9 million Americans are infected with HCV, with 75 percent of those individuals unaware of their diagnosis’’ (Zucker, Choi, & Gallagher, 2012). Because of their high risk for infection with hepatitis, screening and vaccination is recommended for susceptible injection drug users. The Transtheoretical Model of Change (TTM) is a model of intentional behavior change that describes the phases that people go through
Because of this lack of information, it is imperative that we as healthcare providers provide the necessary education to allow our consumers to make the best decision regarding their care. During the contemplation phase, clients are beginning to recognize that their behavior or refusal to engage in treatment is problematic, and start to look at the pros and cons of their continued actions. It is during this phase that healthcare providers can continue to outline the benefits of the behavior change and treatment. Once our clients have all the education and information needed to modify their behaviors or engage in treatment, they enter the action phase, modifying their problem behavior or in engaging in treatment. Vaccinations and screenings are unique in relation to other health behaviors, lacking a traditional behavioral maintenance stage and requiring relatively little obvious behavioral effort to reach the action stage. Maintenance for vaccination is essentially under biological control once the final dose of the vaccine is completed. Seemingly, improving vaccinations and screenings for IV drug users can drastically reduce the spread of not only Hepatitis, but numerous other infectious disease as
Each year in the United States, there are millions of cases of the common cold. Adults have an average of 2-3 colds per year, and children have even more “(CDC, 2016). Currently, there is no cure or vaccination against the common cold.
Because of the statistics above, a new vaccine against the common cold would certainly be well received based on a high relative advantage. Medications to include vaccinations undergo rigorous trials and FDA regulations prior to being available to the public, thereby decreasing the concerns for risk and uncertainty, vaccines would tend to lack direct trialability and observability. The use of vaccinations to prevent infectious illness is very consistent with current practices, thereby making a common cold vaccine extremely compatible (DiClemente, Salazar, & Crosby, 2013).
Public health literature and media campaigns are effective tools in educating the population about the vaccine. As with most other vaccines, there would likely be little to no disruptions to social customs and the vaccine could be modified annually as with the influenza vaccine. Requiring minimal commitment, time investment, and ease of administration would likely make the common cold vaccination a great success (DiClemente, Salazar, & Crosby,