TIP 1 - Establish trust – As a HCP you have likely already established trust with your patients. This is a great foundation for productive conversation. You can reinforce this trust by conveying to your patient that it is completely normal to have questions about the vaccine. Clarify that your role is to provide information and not to force them to get the vaccine. You want them to be fully aware about the benefits and the potential risks associated with the vaccine as well as the risks of not getting vaccinated, so they can make an informed decision.

 

If your patient is from a community that has experienced systemic harms from the healthcare system or has been underserved in the vaccine response, acknowledge that you are aware of the harms and failings of the system, or that you are willing to listen and learn. Follow through and show you care by reading up on the forms of oppression (racism, homophobia, transphobia, and sexism) prevalent in our healthcare system. It is important to realize that this discrimination is not “in the past”; it continues to happen today and directly impacts whether individuals feel they can trust vaccine information coming from health authorities. Let your patient know that you are willing to listen and support them in the best way you can.

 

TIP 2 - Ask open-ended questions – Asking open-ending questions is the best way to get to know what your patient already understands about the vaccine and any misconceptions they may have.

 

To start off, you can ask questions such as: 

 

“How do you feel about the vaccine?” 

“What do you think about the vaccine?” 

“Why do you feel the vaccine is important?” 

“What do you know about the vaccine and how it works?”

 

To identify misconceptions and worries, ask “If you’re comfortable sharing this with me, what is stopping you from getting the vaccine?” and/or “It is very common to have concerns about the vaccine, if you’d like to share your concerns with me I can do my best to help provide you with relevant information.” 

 

TIP 3 - Listen actively – Once you have asked these starter questions, you are on your way to a productive and rich dialogue. Ensure that you are actively listening to your patient’s response.

 

 You can do this by –

 

Affirming their knowledge and time: 

 

“You seem to know a lot about “x”...

“You already know a lot about vaccination.” 

“Thank you for taking the time to talk to me about vaccination.”

 

Rephrasing and synthesizing what they have said and what they mean:

 

“It sounds like you are positive about vaccination in general but you are worried that this vaccine was approved too quickly. Is that correct?” 

 

“You are worried about getting the vaccine while pregnant and you have heard online that the vaccine could harm the placenta. Does that sound right?”

 

TIP 4 - Share information – Once you have identified your patient’s concerns, you are in a better position to provide them with relevant and contextualized information. Before you start sharing information, make sure you check-in with your patient and affirm their willingness to learn more from you. Here are some questions to get you started: 

 

“Can I give you some information based on what you already know [about xxx]?

“Can I provide you some information to build on what you know [about xxx]?

“Can I share some information that might help address your concern [about xxx]?”

 

If they are willing, share your information in plain language. Avoid using scientific jargon. After sharing, follow up with questions such as:

 

“Does that make sense?” 

“What do you think of this information?”

“Is this information helpful?” 

“Is there anything I can clarify?” 

 

TIP 5 - Observe intently – Patients may display their reactions through body language, especially when you are talking and they are listening. Any and all forms of anxiety such as leg shaking, nail-biting, and/or darting eyes should suggest to you that your patient is nervous and potentially in a state of panic. Be prepared to slow down the conversation, re-explain tricky concepts, and reinforce that you are there to support them. Try to address concerns and answer questions as best you can without overwhelming them with information. 

 

TIP 6 - Reinforce autonomy – While trying to promote vaccine confidence, it is important to recognize that each individual must decide on their own to get vaccinated. Unintentionally making your patient feel coerced or shamed into getting vaccinated can break trust and create animosity between you and your patient. 

 

Avoid using language like “should”, “must”, or “need” when referring to vaccination. 

 

Do not scare your patients into vaccination by exaggerating the negative impacts of COVID-19. Instead, empower your patients through evidence-based information about the vaccine and the positive impact of vaccination. 

 

When you don’t know something or there isn’t enough evidence to make a definite conclusion, be transparent rather than trying to hide it. This prevents loss of trust in case conflicting evidence or unforeseen events occur. Reiterate that the current evidence strongly supports vaccination. 

 

Reinforce that your role is to share information about the vaccine, and not to make them get the vaccine. 

 

Ask questions like “How can I help you make an informed decision about vaccination?” 

 

TIP 7 - Engage respectfully – The aim of all the previous tips is respectful communication. As a HCP, you have access to health information and scientific knowledge. Engaging with respect means that you recognize that this knowledge is a privilege that others may not have. Vaccination can be a difficult decision for many people, especially those who are underserved and/or harmed by the healthcare system. Engaging respectfully means sharing your knowledge when asked, listening carefully, and supporting your patients as they need to be supported. 

 

Oftentimes, your patient may be coming in for a reason other than vaccination. While having conversations about the vaccine is important, make sure to ask your patient if they are willing and ready to have this conversation before getting started. 

 

We hope these tips help you foster meaningful discussions with your patients about COVID-19 and vaccination!