A new approach to communicating with vaccine-hesitant patients has shown promising results in increasing vaccine acceptance and addressing anti-vaccination arguments, according to researchers at the University of Bristol. The approach, known as the 'empathetic refutational interview,' involves healthcare professionals first understanding the specific concerns and motivations of patients, empathizing with their views, and then providing factual information about immunization.
The study, which involved over 2,500 patients in the UK and US, found that the empathetic approach had small but significant effects on increasing vaccine acceptance and lowering support for anti-vaccination arguments. Surprisingly, the majority of vaccine-hesitant participants (69%) preferred the empathetic engagement compared to a group that received only factual information. Additionally, 64% of participants who experienced the empathetic refutational interview indicated they were more open to continuing the conversation with a healthcare professional.
Dr. Dawn Holford, the study leader and senior research associate in psychology, emphasized the importance of tackling misinformation and tailoring the communication approach to address people's concerns. She noted that “trust can be gained and minds can be changed” if healthcare professionals take patients' concerns seriously and help them make informed decisions about their health.
The research is now being developed into training tools and programs to support healthcare professionals in the UK, France, Germany, and Romania. The goal is to provide healthcare professionals with the skills and techniques necessary to effectively communicate with vaccine-hesitant individuals and increase vaccine uptake.
The findings of this study come at a crucial time for the UK, which is currently facing a growing measles outbreak due to falling MMR (measles, mumps, and rubella) vaccine uptake. The UK Health Security Agency has launched a campaign to urgently reverse childhood vaccination decline and drive up vaccination rates across England. The agency highlighted the importance of increasing population immunity to prevent outbreaks and will be focusing on areas with low MMR uptake, contacting parents of six-to-11-year-olds for catch-up vaccines.
Co-author Professor Stephan Lewandowsky, chair in cognitive psychology at the University of Bristol, emphasized the need to understand people's motivations and create a comfortable space for processing corrective information. By affirming and empathizing with deeply held attitudes, healthcare professionals can help patients make “better-informed decisions about vaccination”.
