Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors

<i>Background</i>: Recommendation from doctors is a well-recognized motivator toward vaccine uptake. Family doctors are in the prime position to advise the public on COVID-19 vaccination. We studied the practice and concerns of frontline family doctors concerning COVID-19 vaccination rec...

Descripción completa

Guardado en:

Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores principales:	Paul Kwok Ming Poon, Weiju Zhou, Dicken Cheong Chun Chan, Kin On Kwok, Samuel Yeung Shan Wong
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	MDPI AG 2021
Materias:	COVID-19 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations family doctors primary care Medicine R
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/910d9ce47bbe498fa66026f0d515ecdf
Etiquetas:	Agregar Etiqueta Sin Etiquetas, Sea el primero en etiquetar este registro!

id	oai:doaj.org-article:910d9ce47bbe498fa66026f0d515ecdf
record_format	dspace
spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:910d9ce47bbe498fa66026f0d515ecdf2021-11-25T19:11:17ZRecommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors10.3390/vaccines91113192076-393Xhttps://doaj.org/article/910d9ce47bbe498fa66026f0d515ecdf2021-11-01T00:00:00Zhttps://www.mdpi.com/2076-393X/9/11/1319https://doaj.org/toc/2076-393X<i>Background</i>: Recommendation from doctors is a well-recognized motivator toward vaccine uptake. Family doctors are in the prime position to advise the public on COVID-19 vaccination. We studied the practice and concerns of frontline family doctors concerning COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to patients. <i>Methods</i>: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of all family doctors in the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians between June and July 2021. Their practice of making COVID-19 recommendation to patients was assessed. Based on the Health Belief Model, factors associated with doctors’ recommendation practices were explored and examined. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the factors, including COVID-19 vaccine attributes, associated with doctors’ practices in making recommendations. Their own vaccination status and psychological antecedents to vaccine hesitancy were measured. <i>Results</i>: A total of 312 family doctors responded (a 17.6% response rate). The proportion of doctors who had received COVID-19 vaccines was 90.1%. The proportion of doctors who would recommend all patients without contraindications for the vaccination was 64.4%. The proportion of doctors who would proactively discuss COVID-19 vaccines with patients was 52.9%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that doctors’ own COVID-19 vaccination status was the strongest predictor of family doctors making a recommendation to patients (aOR 12.23 95% CI 3.45–43.33). Longer duration of practice, willingness to initiate the relevant discussion with patients and less worry about vaccine side effects on chronic illness patients were the other factors associated with making a COVID-19 vaccination recommendation. <i>Conclusions</i>: Family doctors should be encouraged to get vaccinated themselves and initiate discussions with patients about COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine safety data on patients with chronic illness, training and guidelines for junior doctors may facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination recommendation practices of family doctors.Paul Kwok Ming PoonWeiju ZhouDicken Cheong Chun ChanKin On KwokSamuel Yeung Shan WongMDPI AGarticleCOVID-19COVID-19 vaccine recommendationsfamily doctorsprimary careMedicineRENVaccines, Vol 9, Iss 1319, p 1319 (2021)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	COVID-19 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations family doctors primary care Medicine R
spellingShingle	COVID-19 COVID-19 vaccine recommendations family doctors primary care Medicine R Paul Kwok Ming Poon Weiju Zhou Dicken Cheong Chun Chan Kin On Kwok Samuel Yeung Shan Wong Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
description	<i>Background</i>: Recommendation from doctors is a well-recognized motivator toward vaccine uptake. Family doctors are in the prime position to advise the public on COVID-19 vaccination. We studied the practice and concerns of frontline family doctors concerning COVID-19 vaccination recommendations to patients. <i>Methods</i>: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey of all family doctors in the Hong Kong College of Family Physicians between June and July 2021. Their practice of making COVID-19 recommendation to patients was assessed. Based on the Health Belief Model, factors associated with doctors’ recommendation practices were explored and examined. Multivariate logistic regression models were used to investigate the factors, including COVID-19 vaccine attributes, associated with doctors’ practices in making recommendations. Their own vaccination status and psychological antecedents to vaccine hesitancy were measured. <i>Results</i>: A total of 312 family doctors responded (a 17.6% response rate). The proportion of doctors who had received COVID-19 vaccines was 90.1%. The proportion of doctors who would recommend all patients without contraindications for the vaccination was 64.4%. The proportion of doctors who would proactively discuss COVID-19 vaccines with patients was 52.9%. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that doctors’ own COVID-19 vaccination status was the strongest predictor of family doctors making a recommendation to patients (aOR 12.23 95% CI 3.45–43.33). Longer duration of practice, willingness to initiate the relevant discussion with patients and less worry about vaccine side effects on chronic illness patients were the other factors associated with making a COVID-19 vaccination recommendation. <i>Conclusions</i>: Family doctors should be encouraged to get vaccinated themselves and initiate discussions with patients about COVID-19 vaccines. Vaccine safety data on patients with chronic illness, training and guidelines for junior doctors may facilitate the COVID-19 vaccination recommendation practices of family doctors.
format	article
author	Paul Kwok Ming Poon Weiju Zhou Dicken Cheong Chun Chan Kin On Kwok Samuel Yeung Shan Wong
author_facet	Paul Kwok Ming Poon Weiju Zhou Dicken Cheong Chun Chan Kin On Kwok Samuel Yeung Shan Wong
author_sort	Paul Kwok Ming Poon
title	Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
title_short	Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
title_full	Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
title_fullStr	Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
title_full_unstemmed	Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors
title_sort	recommending covid-19 vaccines to patients: practice and concerns of frontline family doctors
publisher	MDPI AG
publishDate	2021
url	https://doaj.org/article/910d9ce47bbe498fa66026f0d515ecdf
work_keys_str_mv	AT paulkwokmingpoon recommendingcovid19vaccinestopatientspracticeandconcernsoffrontlinefamilydoctors AT weijuzhou recommendingcovid19vaccinestopatientspracticeandconcernsoffrontlinefamilydoctors AT dickencheongchunchan recommendingcovid19vaccinestopatientspracticeandconcernsoffrontlinefamilydoctors AT kinonkwok recommendingcovid19vaccinestopatientspracticeandconcernsoffrontlinefamilydoctors AT samuelyeungshanwong recommendingcovid19vaccinestopatientspracticeandconcernsoffrontlinefamilydoctors
_version_	1718410230891544576

Recommending COVID-19 Vaccines to Patients: Practice and Concerns of Frontline Family Doctors

Ejemplares similares