Lyme Disease Knowledge, Practices, and Vaccine Acceptability Among Nurse Practitioners in Pediatric Practice

Abstract

Introduction: Lyme disease (LD) is a major public health problem in the United States. Given its incidence and geographic expansion, nurse practitioners (NPs) will likely encounter patients with this condition.

Method: NPs were invited to participate in an electronic survey via email, newsletter, and social media posts. The 31-question survey collected information on provider characteristics, clinical scenario decisions, resources used, and vaccine sentiment for LD.

Results: Survey participants (n = 606) were primarily cisgender female (75%) and aged 30-49 years (62%). Responding to six hypothetical clinical scenarios, only 31% of participants answered most questions correctly. If an LD vaccine becomes available, 39% said they would incorporate it into practice; 48% would seek further information before deciding.

Discussion: Additional education on LD prevention, diagnosis, and treatment is needed for NPs. Increasing provider awareness of current guidelines and developing tailored resources for NPs may improve patient care.

Keywords: Borrelia burgdorferi; Lyme disease; nurse practitioner; pediatric; tick-borne disease.