Abstract
BackgroundIncreasing the coverage of vaccinations recommended by the World Health Organization in the older adult population is an urgent issue, especially in the context of avoiding co-epidemics during the current coronavirus disease 2019 crisis. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with the quality of perceived patient–physician communication and whether this variable was associated with increased odds of vaccination.MethodsWe used cross-sectional data from the Japan Gerontological Evaluation Study conducted from October 2016 to January 2017. The participants were 22,253 physically and cognitively independent individuals aged 65 or older living in 39 municipalities in Japan. Multilevel logit models were used to estimate the odds of vaccination.ResultsAmong the participants, 40.0% and 58.8% had received pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations as per the recommended schedule, respectively. People with low educational levels were more likely to have a family physician but rate their experience in asking questions lower than those with higher educational levels. Having a family physician and high rating for physicians’ listening attitude were positively associated with increased odds of pneumococcal and influenza vaccinations. High rating for patients’ questioning attitude and shared decision-making, compared to an ambiguous attitude toward medical decision-making, were positively associated with increased odds of pneumococcal vaccination.ConclusionThe results suggest that promotion of having a family physician, better patient–physician communication, and shared decision-making may encourage older adults to undergo recommended vaccinations.
Highlights
We examined factors associated with the quality of perceived patient–physician communication and whether this variable was associated with increased odds of receiving pneumococcal and influenza vaccines using nationwide data of Japanese older adults aged 65 or older
This study explored the association between patient–physician communication and vaccination in Japanese older adults
The results show that having a family physician, positive perceptions of physicians’ listening attitude and their own questioning ability, and shared decision-making were associated with increased odds of pneumococcal vaccination among people aged 65 or older
Summary
Pneumococcal diseases and influenza pose a substantial health burden, especially among older adults.[1,2] Vaccination for these diseases may reduce the risk of morbidity in this population.[3,4] A routine single dose of a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine and an annual influenza vaccination are, recommended for all persons aged 65 or older in the international guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5,6]In the present scenario of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, undergoing influenza vaccination is more crucial than ever for several reasons,[7,8] and the same reasoning can apply to pneumococcal vaccination. Pneumococcal diseases and influenza pose a substantial health burden, especially among older adults.[1,2] Vaccination for these diseases may reduce the risk of morbidity in this population.[3,4] A routine single dose of a 23-valent polysaccharide vaccine and an annual influenza vaccination are, recommended for all persons aged 65 or older in the international guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.[5,6]. Studies suggest that coinfection of COVID-19 with pneumococcal diseases or influenza may result in a more severe disease course, increased number of complications, and even death.[11,12,13] Third, hospitalization for vaccine-preventable diseases could overwhelm the already limited medical resources available for patients with COVID-19. Increasing the coverage of vaccinations recommended by the World Health Organization in the older adult population is an urgent issue, especially in the context of avoiding co-epidemics during the current coronavirus disease 2019 crisis. The aim of this study was to examine factors associated with the quality of perceived patient–physician communication and whether this variable was associated with increased odds of vaccination
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