Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message
Soliciting and addressing parents' concerns about childhood vaccination is a fundamental task of healthcare professionals (HCPs) talking to vaccine-hesitant parents. Prior research showed that parents' vaccination intent is a recurring topic at Dutch Well-Baby Clinics (WBCs), but vaccinati...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Elsevier
2025-12-01
|
| Series: | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266732152500054X |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1849226901521956864 |
|---|---|
| author | Robert Prettner Hedwig te Molder Jeffrey D. Robinson |
| author_facet | Robert Prettner Hedwig te Molder Jeffrey D. Robinson |
| author_sort | Robert Prettner |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Soliciting and addressing parents' concerns about childhood vaccination is a fundamental task of healthcare professionals (HCPs) talking to vaccine-hesitant parents. Prior research showed that parents' vaccination intent is a recurring topic at Dutch Well-Baby Clinics (WBCs), but vaccination questions or concerns are rarely discussed. To study how parental concerns are presented and addressed in naturally occurring conversation, we collected 11 vaccination consultations at an anthroposophical WBC. This clinic attracts vaccine-hesitant parents with various concerns about vaccination, despite the physician having an essentially pro-vaccination attitude. We begin our analysis by briefly outlining the nature of parents' concerns and find that those concerns are rarely addressed directly. Instead, the physician uses an advice-prefacing practice that can be likened to a refutational two-sided message, typically consisting of four components: (1) projection; (2) presentation of the vaccination proponent's position; (3) presentation of the vaccination opponent's position; and (4) refutation of the opponent's position. We discuss the important role of projection and show how parents may orient to a stand-alone refutation as doing persuasion. We conclude by arguing that the two-sided preface appears to be designed to present medical advice as being impartial and trustworthy. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-e8c99afdc4564fba9b05e93b876d34df |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2667-3215 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-12-01 |
| publisher | Elsevier |
| record_format | Article |
| series | SSM: Qualitative Research in Health |
| spelling | doaj-art-e8c99afdc4564fba9b05e93b876d34df2025-08-24T05:15:00ZengElsevierSSM: Qualitative Research in Health2667-32152025-12-01810057610.1016/j.ssmqr.2025.100576Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided messageRobert Prettner0Hedwig te Molder1Jeffrey D. Robinson2Department of Language, Literature and Communication, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081, HV Amsterdam, the Netherlands; Corresponding author.Department of Language, Literature and Communication, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Amsterdam, the NetherlandsDepartment of Communication, Portland State University, Oregon, USASoliciting and addressing parents' concerns about childhood vaccination is a fundamental task of healthcare professionals (HCPs) talking to vaccine-hesitant parents. Prior research showed that parents' vaccination intent is a recurring topic at Dutch Well-Baby Clinics (WBCs), but vaccination questions or concerns are rarely discussed. To study how parental concerns are presented and addressed in naturally occurring conversation, we collected 11 vaccination consultations at an anthroposophical WBC. This clinic attracts vaccine-hesitant parents with various concerns about vaccination, despite the physician having an essentially pro-vaccination attitude. We begin our analysis by briefly outlining the nature of parents' concerns and find that those concerns are rarely addressed directly. Instead, the physician uses an advice-prefacing practice that can be likened to a refutational two-sided message, typically consisting of four components: (1) projection; (2) presentation of the vaccination proponent's position; (3) presentation of the vaccination opponent's position; and (4) refutation of the opponent's position. We discuss the important role of projection and show how parents may orient to a stand-alone refutation as doing persuasion. We conclude by arguing that the two-sided preface appears to be designed to present medical advice as being impartial and trustworthy.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266732152500054XChildhood vaccinationRefutational two-sided messagingMedical interactionVaccine hesitancyConversation analysis |
| spellingShingle | Robert Prettner Hedwig te Molder Jeffrey D. Robinson Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message SSM: Qualitative Research in Health Childhood vaccination Refutational two-sided messaging Medical interaction Vaccine hesitancy Conversation analysis |
| title | Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message |
| title_full | Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message |
| title_fullStr | Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message |
| title_full_unstemmed | Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message |
| title_short | Addressing concerns of vaccine-hesitant parents: Prefacing medical advice with a refutational two-sided message |
| title_sort | addressing concerns of vaccine hesitant parents prefacing medical advice with a refutational two sided message |
| topic | Childhood vaccination Refutational two-sided messaging Medical interaction Vaccine hesitancy Conversation analysis |
| url | http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S266732152500054X |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT robertprettner addressingconcernsofvaccinehesitantparentsprefacingmedicaladvicewitharefutationaltwosidedmessage AT hedwigtemolder addressingconcernsofvaccinehesitantparentsprefacingmedicaladvicewitharefutationaltwosidedmessage AT jeffreydrobinson addressingconcernsofvaccinehesitantparentsprefacingmedicaladvicewitharefutationaltwosidedmessage |