Primary care providers' views of discussing COVID-19 vaccination with vaccine hesitant patients: A qualitative study

Abstract

Objective: To describe primary care providers' (PCPs) perspectives on discussing COVID-19 vaccination with their patients.

Methods: All PCPs from 11 primary care clinics at 3 health systems were invited to participate. Focus groups were conducted between December 2021-January 2022, and were recorded and transcribed. Participants were asked about their experience communicating about the COVID-19 vaccine. Themes and subthemes were inductively identified using thematic analysis.

Results: 40 PCPs participated. All PCPs viewed discussing COVID-19 vaccination as high priority. Strategies for promoting COVID-19 vaccination included influencing what people think and feel, building trust and leveraging their relationship with patients, and practical strategies such as on-site vaccination. Most strategies aimed at influencing what people think and feel and leveraging relationships were viewed as generally ineffective. On-site vaccine availability was identified as the most influential factor. PCPs expressed frustration by their interactions with vaccine hesitant patients, leading them to truncate their communication with these patients.

Conclusions: Despite using a broad range of strategies, most PCPs were unable to change the strongly held beliefs among the most vaccine hesitant patients that were often informed by misinformation and mistrust.

Practice implications: Promising strategies for promoting vaccination include social/relational (expressing empathy) and practical (on-site COVID-19 vaccine availability).

Keywords: Health promotion; Primary health care; Qualitative Research; Trust/therapeutic alliance.