IMR Press / CEOG / Volume 46 / Issue 5 / DOI: 10.12891/ceog5006.2019

Clinical and Experimental Obstetrics & Gynecology (CEOG) is published by IMR Press from Volume 47 Issue 1 (2020). Previous articles were published by another publisher on a subscription basis, and they are hosted by IMR Press on imrpress.com as a courtesy and upon agreement with S.O.G.

Open Access Original Research
Patient perspectives of gynecologists as their primary provider of routine vaccinations
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1 University of Colorado Hospital, Denver, Colorado, USA
*Correspondence: margo.harrison@ucdenver.edu (M.S. HARRISON)
Clin. Exp. Obstet. Gynecol. 2019, 46(5), 800–804; https://doi.org/10.12891/ceog5006.2019
Published: 10 October 2019
Abstract

Background: Uptake of recommended adult vaccines is suboptimal; thus, every visit to a medical provider is a potential opportunity to vaccinate. Many women view their gynecologist as their primary care provider (PCP), yet little is known about women’s attitudes towards receiving vaccines in this setting. Objective: The present authors’ objectives were to determine women’s use of their gynecologist as their primary provider of routinely recommended vaccinations, their desire and comfort to receive immunizations from them, and their perceptions of their gynecologist’s care in delivery of vaccines. Study Design: A survey among women who sought gynecological care at one of nine obstetrics and gynecology practices in Colorado from February to April, 2014. Results: Among a sample of 518 women who sought gynecology care at one of nine obstetrics and gynecology practices, 87.4% of participants reported that if their gynecologist recommended a vaccine to them, they would get it, and 97.3% trusted their gynecologists as a source of information about the benefits and risks of vaccinations. Women responded that their gynecologist’s office was not the only place they could receive vaccines, but that the majority would expect their gynecologist to inquire about their vaccination status, carry routinely recommended adult vaccines, and be able to answer their questions about immunizations. The survey also found that the majority of women had not been asked about their influenza or pertussis status at their most recent gynecologic visit. Conclusion: Most women trust their gynecologist to serve as their source of vaccines and vaccine education. Gynecologists should consider the cost- and risk-benefit of providing routinely recommended adult vaccines in their practices to both meet patient demand and fulfill their PCP role as part of the broad spectrum of gynecologic care.

Keywords
Gynecologist
Immunization
Patient perspectives
Vaccine
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