Chair's Message – Boosting Vaccine Confidence
It is no longer “vaccine hesitancy;” it is now “vaccine confidence.”
It is so important for the population that we serve that there is significant uptake of the COVID-19 vaccines by our patients to help curtail the spread of COVID-19 infection.
Family physicians will play a critical role in educating their patients about the vaccine and promoting its uptake. Many patients have questions about the vaccine, specifically its safety and efficacy. They will be most interested in accurate information from a trusted source, their own family doctor.
We must be ready with much more than just information about the vaccines, but it is also about how you deliver that information, how you boost vaccine confidence that counts.
The Centre for Effective Practice has put out a helpful tool to assist family physicians with this important skill. It is called the PrOTCT plan for COVID-19 vaccine discussion and is available here: https://tools.cep.health/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/CEP_COVID-Framework_2020.12.18.pdf?utm_source=link.cep.health&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=covid-vaccine
Pr – Proactively start the conversation by expressing your own confidence about the vaccine, that you will get it yourself to protect your own family and others.
O – Offer to share your knowledge about the vaccine with your patient.
T – Tailor your recommendations to their specific concerns, for example their age, their chronic conditions, their social circumstances.
C – Address their specific concerns as above.
T – Talk through a specific plan that may include information about where to get the vaccine, an appointment time if possible, and a vaccine information sheet. For example https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/awareness-resources/know-vaccine.html?utm_source=link.cep.health&utm_medium=urlshortener&utm_campaign=covid-vaccine
Also, here is a link to a useful Q&A sheet about vaccine questions, prepared by Dr. John Wiebe.
Many family physicians will eventually play a role in providing vaccines to their patients and others, but all family physicians can play a role already by boosting vaccine confidence in their patients.
As always, I welcome your comments and feedback at swetmore@uwo.ca or Twitter @DOCSJW.
