Journal Article

Healthcare professionals’ perceptions of challenges in vaccine communication and training needs: a qualitative study

Holford, Dawn, Lewandowsky, Stephan, Brosset, Emeline, Verger, Pierre, Biswas, Aishmita, Anderson, Emma C., Garrison, Amanda, Fisher, Harriet, Gould, Virginia C.

2024

Overview

Background Healthcare professionals (HCPs) can play an important role in encouraging patients and their caregivers to be vaccinated. The objective of this qualitative study was to investigate HCPs’ perspectives on challenges in vaccine communication and unmet training needs in this domain. Methods Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 41 HCPs (mainly nurses and physicians) with vaccination roles (23 in England; 18 in France), gathering information on: (1) HCPs’ approach to vaccine conversations with patients; (2) Challenges of communicating about vaccines; (3) Vaccine-related training and learning resources available to HCPs, and; (4) HCPs’ training needs around vaccine communication. Results HCPs described a range of communication experiences that indicated insufficient time, information, and skills to confidently navigate difficult conversations with vaccine-hesitant patients. Communication skills were especially important to avoid conflict that could potentially damage the patient-provider relationship. Some HCPs interviewed had received communication training, but for most, this training was not specific to vaccination. Although general communication skills were transferable to vaccine conversations, most HCPs welcomed specific training and informational resources to support countering patients’ misconceptions or misinformation about vaccines. Conclusions HCPs would benefit from training tailored to address vaccine communication with patients, and this should be part of a systemic approach that also provides time and space to have effective vaccine conversations.

• Publisher: BioMed Central,BioMed Central Ltd,Springer Nature B.V,BMC
• Subject: Adult / Attitude of Health Personnel / Beliefs, opinions and attitudes / Communication / Communication in medicine / Consent / England / Family Medicine / Female / France / General Practice / Health Personnel - education / Health Personnel - psychology / Healthcare professionals / Humans / Immunization / Interviews / Interviews as Topic / Male / Medical personnel / Medical research / Medicine / Medicine & Public Health / Middle Aged / Midwifery / Nurses / Patients / Pharmacists / Primary Care Medicine / Professional ethics / Professional-Patient Relations / Professionals / Qualitative Research / Response rates / Skills training / Social aspects / Training / Vaccination / Vaccination - psychology / Vaccination Hesitancy - psychology / Vaccine communication / Vaccine confidence / Vaccine hesitancy / Vaccines