{"id":4677,"date":"2026-01-26T08:59:57","date_gmt":"2026-01-26T08:59:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/?p=4677"},"modified":"2026-03-27T07:53:38","modified_gmt":"2026-03-27T07:53:38","slug":"supporting-health-workers-in-addressing-vaccine-hesitancy","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/2026\/01\/supporting-health-workers-in-addressing-vaccine-hesitancy\/","title":{"rendered":"Sostenere gli operatori sanitari nell\u2019affrontare l\u2019esitazione vaccinale"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>Di Dawn Holford, University of Bristol, Regno Unito; Linda Karlsson, University of Turku, Finlandia; Frederike Taubert, Erfurt University, Germania; Emma C. Anderson, University of Bristol, Regno Unito; Virginia C. Gould, University of Bristol, Regno Unito<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Correggere le concezioni errate sulla vaccinazione<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">La vaccinazione \u00e8 uno degli strumenti di sanit\u00e0 pubblica di maggior successo: si stima che <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/24-04-2024-global-immunization-efforts-have-saved-at-least-154-million-lives-over-the-past-50-years\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">salvi 6 vite ogni minuto<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Ma vi sono state anche resistenze nei confronti dei vaccini da parte dell\u2019opinione pubblica, con una disinformazione persistente che mina la fiducia nelle vaccinazioni e rappresenta una sfida per gli operatori sanitari coinvolti nella pratica vaccinale. Come fanno gli operatori a tenere il passo con le continue false narrazioni sui vaccini? Come possono rispondere ai pazienti che portano queste narrazioni come motivazioni per non vaccinare s\u00e9 stessi o i propri figli?<\/span><\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sebbene si possa avere la tentazione di rispondere citando i fatti, per modificare le concezioni errate sui vaccini (spesso alimentate dalla disinformazione) spesso <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangecommunication.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/DebunkingHandbook2020.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">non basta condividere pi\u00f9 informazioni fattuali<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Si consideri l\u2019esempio di <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5789217\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">un mito da tempo smentito riguardante vaccini e autismo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: nonostante decenni di ricerca e ampie evidenze che non esista alcun legame tra i due, gli operatori sanitari continuano a riscontrare questa preoccupazione tra i genitori. Miti come questo sono \u201cresistenti\u201d perch\u00e9 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2023-92406-002.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">fanno leva sulle paure profonde delle persone, utilizzando narrazioni forti che a prima vista appaiono sensate<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Possono anche essere <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/counterhate.com\/research\/the-anti-vaxx-industry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">strumentalizzati a livello politico<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> da chi ha interesse a mantenerli in circolazione tra l\u2019opinione pubblica.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Allora gli operatori sanitari come possono rispondere a chi ha idee errate sui vaccini? La prima cosa da fare \u00e8 comprendere la motivazione alla base di certe convinzioni. Immaginiamo due genitori, Tina e Tom. Entrambi condividono la preoccupazione che il sistema immunitario dei loro figli non riesca a far fronte a tutte le vaccinazioni raccomandate. Questa \u00e8 un\u2019altra concezione errata comune: in realt\u00e0, i vaccini rappresentano solo una dose minima rispetto alla malattia reale. Per Tom, la preoccupazione \u00e8 motivata dalla paura degli effetti avversi che ogni vaccino potrebbe scatenare. Per Tina, la preoccupazione nasce dal desiderio che il sistema immunitario di suo figlio si rinforzi in modo \u201cnaturale\u201d. Questi fattori pi\u00f9 profondi alla base delle preoccupazioni sono conosciuti in psicologia come \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2017-29745-009.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">radici dell\u2019atteggiamento<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d (ovvero, le radici emotivo-valoriali alla base degli atteggiamenti, come paure, ideologie, visioni del mondo, bisogni identitari sottostanti che sostengono e motivano specifici atteggiamenti), e possono spingere le persone ad aggrapparsi alle loro convinzioni errate anche di fronte a fatti che dimostrano il contrario.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Spesso abbiamo l\u2019impulso naturale di correggere direttamente le convinzioni errate che gli altri ci riportano. Tuttavia, la ricerca mostra che se prima si validano le radici alla base degli atteggiamenti, le persone diventano pi\u00f9 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2024-59360-001.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">ricettive alle correzioni dei miti vaccinali<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, e di conseguenza pu\u00f2 aumentare la loro accettazione dei vaccini. Quindi, per rispondere alla preoccupazione di Tom, potremmo voler prima rassicurarlo che \u00e8 normale desiderare proteggere il proprio figlio. Al contrario, per affrontare la preoccupazione di Tina, potrebbe essere meglio iniziare riconoscendo che \u00e8 generalmente positivo evitare farmaci non necessari. Dopo aver stabilito una connessione e instaurato fiducia, si pu\u00f2 proseguire affrontando le convinzioni errate e condividendo pi\u00f9 informazioni sulla vaccinazione.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Come preparare gli operatori sanitari alle conversazioni sui vaccini?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Il modo migliore per affrontare le false convinzioni sui vaccini \u00e8 adottare approcci personalizzati <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjgh-2024-017142\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">e basati sul dialogo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. La possibilit\u00e0 di confrontarsi per questioni mediche con operatori sanitari di cui si fidano <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochranelibrary.com\/cdsr\/doi\/10.1002\/14651858.CD010038.pub3\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">favorisce l\u2019aumento dell\u2019adesione vaccinale<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> da parte delle persone. Un esempio di tale approccio \u00e8 <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2024-59360-001.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">l\u2019Empathetic Refutational Interview<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (che pu\u00f2 essere tradotta come Intervista Confutazionale Empatica), che prevede una conversazione sui vaccini strutturata in quattro fasi e utilizza tecniche basate sulle evidenze scientifiche per costruire fiducia e affrontare le concezioni errate, rispettando le radici alla base degli atteggiamenti delle persone. \u00c8 stata creata dal <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">progetto JITSUVAX<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> e prende spunto da altri approcci dialogici, come il <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32281992\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Motivational Interviewing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (Intervista motivazionale).<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tuttavia, impegnarsi in un dialogo rispettoso sui vaccini con i pazienti non \u00e8 sempre facile. Gli operatori sanitari possono avere <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/10497323251320921\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">il timore di provocare conflitti<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> durante la discussione. Molti <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11265004\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">non ricevono una formazione adeguata<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> che li prepari a tali conversazioni. Infatti, le linee guida e le formazioni rivolte ai professionisti sanitari spesso <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/21645515.2024.2397875\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">si basano su approcci informativi<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> focalizzati sul fornire ai pazienti informazioni sui fatti, cosa che pu\u00f2 risultare controproducente. Attraverso il progetto JITSUVAX sono stati intervistati diversi professionisti sanitari che hanno espresso la necessit\u00e0 di supporto specifico e strategie da utilizzare per affrontare le false convinzioni dei pazienti sui vaccini.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Il <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">progetto JITSUVAX<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> ha sviluppato degli strumenti per supportare gli operatori sanitari nell\u2019utilizzo dell\u2019Intervista Confutazionale Empatica nelle conversazioni sui vaccini:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/welcome\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Risorse web<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per aiutare gli operatori a comprendere 11 radici dell\u2019atteggiamento alla base delle concezioni errate sui vaccini.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Jitsuvax-prospectus_english_digital_PDF-03-04-25.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Linee guida<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> sull\u2019uso dell\u2019Intervista Confutazionale Empatica per migliorare le conversazioni.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Formazione<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> per gli operatori sanitari sull\u2019Intervista Confutazionale Empatica.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Sono stati organizzati workshop in vari Paesi europei con i professionisti sanitari, che hanno riferito miglioramenti significativi e duraturi nelle loro competenze e nella loro autoefficacia nel condurre conversazioni sui vaccini dopo aver partecipato alla formazione. In Romania, gli operatori formati nell\u2019Intervista Confutazionale Empatica e nell\u2019Intervista Motivazionale hanno registrato un marcato incremento nel numero di appuntamenti vaccinali prenotati dopo le loro consulenze, rispetto agli operatori non formati.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Quest\u2019esperienza \u00e8 coerente con i risultati dell\u2019<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/europe\/news\/item\/24-05-2023-new-who-study-shows-health-workers-feel-more-confident-to-recommend-covid-19-vaccination-following-a-training-on-patient-communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Organizzazione Mondiale della Sanit\u00e0<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, secondo cui la formazione sulle competenze comunicative per gli operatori sanitari aiuta a rafforzare la loro fiducia nell\u2019affrontare il tema dei vaccini ed \u00e8 quindi <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9444894\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">un investimento proficuo<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><strong>Raccomandazioni pratiche<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><strong>Per i professionisti:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In qualit\u00e0 di operatori sanitari, ricoprite una posizione privilegiata per la quale i pazienti si fidano delle vostre indicazioni in tema di salute. \u00c8 importante che siate consapevoli che le vostre parole possono fare la differenza nelle decisioni dei pazienti sulla vaccinazione.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Comprendere le radici alla base degli atteggiamenti dei vostri pazienti pu\u00f2 aiutarvi nella conversazione. Potete considerarla una sorta di diagnosi per capire come affrontare le loro preoccupazioni. Tra le tecniche utili in questa fase vi sono le domande aperte (ad es.: \u201cQuali informazioni potrebbero aiutarla nella decisione?\u201d) invece di quelle chiuse (\u201cPosso darle qualche informazione?\u201d) e la pratica dell\u2019ascolto attivo attraverso il riconoscimento di ci\u00f2 che il paziente dice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Esistono modi efficaci e basati sulle evidenze per correggere i miti sulla vaccinazione mantenendo un buon rapporto con il paziente. Cercate delle opportunit\u00e0 formative su queste tecniche per rinforzare il vostro senso di efficacia e le vostre competenze nell\u2019affrontare la tematica dei vaccini.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Potrebbe preoccuparvi il fatto che il dialogo con i pazienti richieda pi\u00f9 tempo di quello disponibile in una consulenza. Tuttavia, gli approcci comunicativi come l\u2019Intervista Confutazionale Empatica forniscono tecniche per massimizzare l\u2019utilit\u00e0 della conversazione anche quando si hanno solo pochi minuti. \u00c8 meglio costruire la fiducia e porre le basi per discussioni future piuttosto che fornire informazioni che non verranno ben recepite.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Continuate a esercitare le competenze comunicative e le tecniche imparate: tendono a migliorare con l\u2019uso costante.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Tradotto da: Claudia Meroni, Michela Ghelfi<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>By Dawn Holford, University of Bristol, UK, Linda Karlsson, University of Turku, Finland, Frederike Taubert, Erfurt University, Germany, Emma C. Anderson, University of Bristol, UK, Virginia C. Gould, University of Bristol, UK Correcting misconceptions about vaccination Vaccination is one of [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":4686,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"off","_et_pb_old_content":"<strong>By Dawn Holford, University of Bristol, UK, Linda Karlsson, University of Turku, Finland, Frederike Taubert, Erfurt University, Germany, Emma C. Anderson, University of Bristol, UK, Virginia C. Gould, University of Bristol, UK<\/strong>\n\n<strong>Correcting misconceptions about vaccination<\/strong>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Vaccination is one of the most successful tools of public health\u2014they have been estimated to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/news\/item\/24-04-2024-global-immunization-efforts-have-saved-at-least-154-million-lives-over-the-past-50-years\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">save 6 lives every minute<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. But vaccines have also faced public resistance, with persistent disinformation undermining public trust in vaccination, and posing a challenge for health workers with vaccination roles. How do health workers keep up with the flood of false narratives about vaccines? What can they say to patients who cite these narratives as reasons not to vaccinate themselves or their children?\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<!--more-->\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">While it can be tempting to respond by citing the facts, correcting misconceptions about vaccines\u2014which are often fuelled by disinformation\u2014is <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.climatechangecommunication.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/DebunkingHandbook2020.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">not as simple as sharing more factual information<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. Take the example of a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC5789217\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">long-debunked myth about vaccines and autism<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">: despite decades of research and extensive evidence that there is no link between the two, health workers continue to encounter this concern among parents. Myths like this are \u201csticky\u201d because <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2023-92406-002.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">they play on people\u2019s underlying fears, using strong narratives that appear intuitive at first glance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. They can also be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/counterhate.com\/research\/the-anti-vaxx-industry\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">weaponised by those with political agendas<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to keep these myths circulating in public.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">So, what can health workers say to someone who holds a misconception about vaccines? It starts with understanding what motivates someone\u2019s beliefs. Let\u2019s imagine two parents, Tina and Tom. Both share a concern that their children\u2019s immune system will not cope with all the recommended vaccinations. This is another common misconception: the fact is that vaccines are only a tiny dose compared to the real disease. For Tom, the concern is motivated by his fear of adverse effects each vaccine might trigger. For Tina, the concern is motivated by her preference for her child to have strong \u201cnatural\u201d resistance to disease. These deeper drivers of the surface concern are known in psychology as \u201c<\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2017-29745-009.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">attitude roots<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201d, and they can motivate people to cling to their misconceptions in the face of factual correction.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Often, we have a natural impulse to directly correct misconceptions we hear from others. However, research shows that when we first validate people\u2019s attitude roots, they are more <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2024-59360-001.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">receptive to corrections of vaccine myths<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which can increase their acceptance of vaccines. So, to address Tom\u2019s concern, we might want to first reassure him that it\u2019s normal to want to protect his child. In contrast, to address Tina\u2019s concern, it could be better to begin by acknowledging that it is generally good to avoid unnecessary medication. After connecting with them and building trust, we can continue with addressing their misconceptions and sharing more information about vaccination.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<strong>How can we prepare health workers for vaccine conversations?<\/strong>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The best way to address vaccine misconceptions is through tailored, <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.1136\/bmjgh-2024-017142\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">dialogue-based approaches<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. When people are able to speak to health workers whom they trust for medical advice, this can be <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.cochranelibrary.com\/cdsr\/doi\/10.1002\/14651858.CD010038.pub3\/full\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">highly effective at raising vaccine uptake<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. An example of such an approach is the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/psycnet.apa.org\/fulltext\/2024-59360-001.html\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Empathetic Refutational Interview<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, a four-step framework to structure vaccine conversations using evidence-based techniques described above to build trust and address misconceptions while respecting people\u2019s attitude roots. It was created by the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JITSUVAX project<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> and builds on other dialogue-based approaches, such as <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/32281992\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Motivational Interviewing<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">However, engaging in respectful dialogue with patients about vaccination is not always easy. Health workers may <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/journals.sagepub.com\/doi\/full\/10.1177\/10497323251320921\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worry about provoking conflict<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> during the discussion. Many health workers <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC11265004\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">do not receive training<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to prepare them for such conversations. In fact, where health workers receive training or guidance for this important role, it tends to <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.tandfonline.com\/doi\/full\/10.1080\/21645515.2024.2397875\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">rely on an information-based approach<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> of providing facts to patients\u2014which can actually be counterproductive. The JITSUVAX project interviewed health workers who described their need for specific support and strategies they can use to deal with patients\u2019 vaccine misconceptions.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">JITSUVAX project<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> developed tools to support health workers to use the Empathetic Refutational Interview for vaccine conversations:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/welcome\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Web resources<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> to help health workers understand 11 attitude roots that underlie vaccine misconceptions.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/04\/Jitsuvax-prospectus_english_digital_PDF-03-04-25.pdf\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Guidance<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> on using the Empathetic Refutational Interview to improve vaccine conversations.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li><a href=\"https:\/\/jitsuvax.info\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Training<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> for health workers in the Empathetic Refutational Interview.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">We have run workshops with health workers in countries across Europe, who reported strong and lasting improvements after attending training in their skills and confidence for vaccine conversations. In Romania, health workers trained in the Empathetic Refutational Interview and Motivational Interviewing saw a larger increase in the number of vaccination appointments booked after their consultations, compared to untrained health workers.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Our experience mirrors findings from the <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/www.who.int\/europe\/news\/item\/24-05-2023-new-who-study-shows-health-workers-feel-more-confident-to-recommend-covid-19-vaccination-following-a-training-on-patient-communication\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">World Health Organization<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> that communication skills training for health workers helps build their confidence in having vaccine conversations and is a <\/span><a href=\"https:\/\/pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/articles\/PMC9444894\/\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">worthwhile investment<\/span><\/a><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.\u00a0<\/span>\n\n<strong>Practical recommendations<\/strong>\n\n<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For practitioners:<\/span>\n<ul>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">As a health worker, you hold a unique position of trust when it comes to medical advice. Recognise that your conversations can make the key difference in patients\u2019 vaccine decisions.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Understanding your patients\u2019 attitude roots can help you in the conversation. You might think of this as diagnosing the situation to know how to approach the patient\u2019s concerns. Techniques to help with this diagnostic step include asking questions that are open (e.g., \u201cWhat information would support your decision?\u201d) instead of closed (\u201cCan I give you some information?\u201d) and practising active listening by reflecting what the patient says.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are effective, evidence-based ways to correct vaccination myths while maintaining rapport. Seek out training in these techniques to support your confidence and skills to approach vaccine conversations.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">You may be concerned that dialogue with patients takes more time than you have in a consultation. Communication approaches like the Empathetic Refutational Interview, provide techniques to maximise the conversation even if you only have a few minutes. It is better to build trust and lay the groundwork for future discussions than deliver information that will not be well-received.<\/span><\/li>\n \t<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Keep practising the communication skills and techniques you learn \u2013 these tend to improve the more you use them.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>","_et_gb_content_width":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,28,13,56],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-4677","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-behavioural-theory","category-communication","category-interventions","category-public-health"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"it","enabled_languages":["en","id","my","bg","zh","hr","cz","da","de","es","fr","gr","he","it","ja","kr","lv","lt","hu","nl","no","pl","pt","ro","ru","sk","fi","sv","tr","uk"],"languages":{"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"id":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"my":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"bg":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"hr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"cz":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"da":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"de":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"es":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"fr":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"gr":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"he":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"it":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ja":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"kr":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"lv":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"lt":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"hu":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"nl":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"no":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"pl":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"pt":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ro":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"sk":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"fi":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"sv":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"tr":{"title":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false},"uk":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4677"}],"version-history":[{"count":27,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4792,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4677\/revisions\/4792"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4686"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4677"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4677"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/practicalhealthpsychology.com\/it\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4677"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}