Chau Che, MD, a gastroenterologist at Temple University Health System in Philadelphia, never thought she would be speaking to patients about vaccinations. However, she adapted to the new duty the pandemic required of her and developed a five-step, two-minute strategy to get vaccine-hesitant patients on board with COVID-19 shots.
Dr. Che said the strategy has been successful on numerous occasions in an Aug. 22 MedPage Today article. Below are the five steps:
- Acknowledge the patient's reasons for being apprehensive, and address any misinformation they may have shared with you.
- If applicable, remind the patient of your physician-patient relationship over the years. In all cases, communicate that you have the patient's best interest in mind, as they have come to you to help protect their health.
- Talk about your experience getting vaccinated against COVID-19 and why you believe this was the best decision.
- Talk about your children, if applicable. You can speak about how your vaccination helps protect them and how you are eager to get them vaccinated.
- Acknowledge the patient's hesitancy once more, and remind them they can be certain you have their best interest in mind.