Physician's communication style can influence HPV vaccine rates, study finds

Gabrielle Masson -

Physicians can improve HIV vaccination rates through better communication practices, according to a study published in Pediatrics.

For the study, researchers from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus in Aurora surveyed 588 pediatricians and family physicians on HPV vaccine delivery practices between July 2018 to September 2018. 

Researchers found that physicians who use a presumptive style, or recommend the HPV vaccine as strongly as other adolescent vaccines for meningitis and Tdap, have higher acceptance rates among patients. The amount of pediatricians who strongly recommended the vaccine for 11- to 12-year-old females increased from 60 percent in 2013 to 85 percent in 2018. This figure increased from  52 percent to 83 percent over the same time period for 11- to 12-year-old males. 

The study also suggests providers could use alert systems and standing orders in medical records to further improve HPV vaccine delivery. 

"A physician recommendation is one of the most important factors in vaccine acceptance by parents," Allison Kempe, MD, lead author and professor of pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine, told Medical Express. "However, we're seeing a lack of understanding from healthcare providers about the need for vaccination early in adolescence and high rates of refusal on the part of parents. The vaccine is underutilized, with less than half of American adolescents completing the vaccination."

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