Dr. O'Laughlin is Co-Author on Study Exploring COVID Vax Hesitancy in ED

Dr. Kelli O'laughlin is a co-author on a study, published in Academic Emergency Medicine, titled "Perspectives of COVID-19 vaccine–hesitant emergency department patients to inform messaging platforms to promote vaccine uptake."

Focusing on patients who lacked primary care, the investigators sought to elicit the perspectives of unvaccinated ED patients regarding COVID-19 vaccination concerns and potential approaches that might increase their vaccine acceptance.

They conducted this qualitative interview study from August to November 2021 at four urban EDs in San Francisco, CA, Seattle, WA Durham, NC and Philadelphia, PA. They included ED patients who were ≥18 years old, fluent in English or Spanish, had not received a COVID-19 vaccine, and did not have primary care physicians or clinics.

Trust played a major role for patients in deciding which sources to use for vaccine information and in engendering vaccine acceptance. Health care providers and family or friends were commonly cited as trusted messengers of information.

The study characterized concerns about COVID-19 vaccines, uncovered themes that may promote vaccine acceptance, and identified trusted messengers—primarily health care professionals. These data may inform the development of nuanced COVID-19 vaccine messaging platforms to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy among underserved ED populations.

To read the full study, click here.