Study: Doctor’s Words Affect Vaccine Decisions

The way a child’s doctor brings up the subject of shots may make a big difference in whether parents agree to them, a new study shows. If the doctor starts out with a question, the parents are much more likely to say no. Researchers videotaped 111 vaccine discussions between parents and doctors. About 3 out of 4 doctors used “presumptive” language, such as, “We have to do shots.” The others used “participatory” language. For example, they might ask: “What do you want to do about shots?” Parents were 17 times as likely to object to shots if the doctor used the participatory language. About half of the time, the doctor persisted, saying that the shots were necessary. In this case, about half of the resistant parents agreed to the shots. In recent years, more doctors have encouraged patients to share in making decisions about their health.