Public health researchers develop web-based guide to help family physicians address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy

Public health researchers in Canada developed an interactive, web-based guide to help family physicians better address a wide range of patient concerns related to the COVID-19 vaccine. To ensure relevancy, the researchers conducted qualitative interviews with primary care physicians in multiple Canadian provinces. The data was then used to identify commonly held beliefs, attitudes and perceptions that impact a patient’s willingness to receive the vaccine.

The research team found that physicians frequently encountered many of the same reasons for COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, including concerns around safety; interactions with co-morbidities; conspiracy theories; religious or moral restrictions; and past traumas experienced in the medical setting. Using this information, researchers created several physician resources to help better counsel vaccine-hesitant patients, in direct response to each potential concern.

Additionally, the free guide outlines four steps to help physicians have better conversations with vaccine-hesitant patients, emphasizing the physician’s role as an ally on the patient’s health journey. Steps include engaging with patients; affirming patient concerns; asking permission before sharing information; and evoking future risks to motivate patients to reconsider vaccine hesitancy. The guide is available at www.vhguide.ca.