Talking It Out: Physicians Lead the Conversation to Reduce COVID-19 Vaccine Hesitancy
February 28, 2022
Inova uses decision support to spark patient-physician conversations about COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy, increasing inpatient vaccinations by 20% and outpatient vaccinations by 7%.
To reach people who are hesitant about getting the COVID-19 vaccine, healthcare organizations are working to identify ways to build trust. Research has shown that when providers engage patients or caregivers to address concerns and communicate strong recommendations, patients are more likely to get vaccinated.
Leaders at Inova, which cares for patients in Northern Virginia, decided to start this conversation in both outpatient and inpatient settings. The standard vaccine workflows didn’t account for the complexity of the COVID-19 vaccines, with various manufacturers, dosing requirements, and availability, and the nurses who typically administer vaccines felt unprepared to answer patients’ complex questions. By screening patients for their willingness to get a COVID-19 vaccine and shifting the conversation to physicians, within five months Inova increased COVID-19 vaccinations for patients in inpatient settings by 20%.
How They Did It:
Shifted to physician-led conversations to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy
Implemented decision support tools to encourage vaccine conversations
Used SlicerDicer to track the effectiveness of the intervention
