Date of Award
1-1-2022
Document Type
Thesis
Degree Name
M.S. in Pharmaceutical Science
First Advisor
Meagen M. Rosenthal
Second Advisor
Erin Holmes
Third Advisor
Sujith Ramachandran
School
University of Mississippi
Relational Format
dissertation/thesis
Abstract
Background
Influenza (influenza) is a contagious disease, causing thousands of deaths every year. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) recommends routine annual influenza vaccination for all people over 6 months of age who do not have contraindications, yet the vaccination coverage for 2018-19 season was 49.2%, around 20% less than the goal set by Healthy People 2030 of 70% coverage. The national foundation of infectious diseases survey showed that 51% of respondents do not think the flu vaccine works, 34% are concerned with the side effects from the vaccine, and 22% are concerned about getting flu from the vaccine. This shows that there is some misinformation spreading around the public about the influenza vaccine which highlights the need for improved communication.
Objectives
The objective of this study is to understand the acceptability and feasibility of the use of the five healthcare communication considerations in a community pharmacy setting for improving how adults perceive or value the influenza vaccine.
Methods
This study conducted semi-structured interviews based on the Healthcare communication considerations developed by Nowak. Independent community pharmacists practicing in Mississippi were invited to participate. All interviews were conducted via telephone between September and October 2021. Audio recording were auto transcribed and edited using Trint platform. Deductive analysis was incorporated to analyze themes and understand, not only respondents’ perspectives of the five healthcare communication strategies, but also the acceptability and feasibility of the strategies using the previously discussed definitions.
Results
Seven community pharmacists in Mississippi were interviewed. Community pharmacists believed that the healthcare communication considerations were acceptable and feasible to carry out in a practical setting but highlighted risks to acceptability such as time and lack of personnel.
Conclusion
Apart from providing scientific facts and information, community pharmacists should integrate social psychological value with the healthcare communication consideration. Integrating social psychological values are important when improving adult perception of vaccine because individuals’ medical decisions are influenced by subjective appraisals. Future studies should look at understanding the impact of workload for community pharmacists who are vaccinator.
Recommended Citation
Jadhav, Saumil, "Acceptability and Feasibility of Healthcare Communication Considerations for altering perceptions towards Influenza Vaccine: A Qualitative Study" (2022). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2438.
https://egrove.olemiss.edu/etd/2438
Concentration/Emphasis
Immunology