During conversations at the regular Well-Baby Clinic, parents hardly ever share their questions or concerns about vaccination, even when healthcare providers solicit them, research by language and communication scientist Robert Prettner shows.
"The consultations focus on soliciting parents' vaccination intent quickly and offer little opportunity for in-depth conversation. Even open-ended questions, such as: "How do you stand on vaccinations?" are usually taken by parents as a request to make a choice: whether to vaccinate or not. Parents are then often unable to ask questions or express doubts." A communication training for healthcare providers developed by Prettner and his team aims to change this.
Vaccination programme
Trust in the National Immunization Programme, positive views on childhood vaccination and vaccination coverage show a declining trend. Prettner observes that this issue is a societal concern. "It touches people deeply. It is about trust, health, freedom of choice and parenthood. This makes it an ongoing source of polarisation. Between healthcare professionals and citizens, but also between friends or family members."
Prettner therefore sees an important role for face-to-face consultations. "Discussions at the Well-Baby Clinic are crucial to build and maintain a basis of trust with healthcare providers. It is a unique opportunity to offer parents tailored information and discuss concerns or questions."
According to Prettner, the fact that parents do not share their concerns and questions about vaccinations at the regular clinic does not mean that the need is not there: "This is evidenced by conversations held at anthroposophic Well-Baby Clinics, among others."
Real conversations
During the study, Prettner analysed 90 video recordings of real conversations. "By analysing real conversations, it is possible to find out if, how and when communicative practices achieve a certain goal. These include providing information, soliciting questions or refuting misinformation. It was
Communication training
Prettner: "We translated these findings into a communication training for healthcare providers who have conversations about vaccination with parents. Conversations where there is room for information, questions and doubts. In the near future, we will investigate to what extent this communication training can actually increase vaccination intent and trust in the healthcare provider."