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Cultivating Patient-Physician Communication About Vaccination Through Vaccine Metaphors

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Abstract

The ease of access to misinformation online leaves patients vulnerable to poor decision-making and perplexed as to who serves as a reliable authority in the dissemination of health-related truths. Of prominent concern in twenty-first century medicine, is the communication between physicians and patients regarding vaccines. This cultural circumstance presents a challenge to physicians to be effective and trustworthy communicators, a challenge that entails the development of crucial skills at the earliest stages of medical education. We describe a pedagogical intervention through which medical students are given the educational experience of metaphorical construction to communicate the importance of vaccination.

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Author notes

  1. A.J.C. and M.A.C. contributed equally to this work by serving as co-facilitators during planning, implementation, and analysis of the activities described.

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical Education, Dr. Kiran C. Patel College of Allopathic Medicine, Nova Southeastern University, 3200 South University Drive, Fort Lauderdale, FL, 33314, USA

    Amanda J. Chase

  2. Department of Clinical and Applied Science Education, University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, TX, 78235, USA

    Mark A. Clark

  3. University of the Incarnate Word School of Osteopathic Medicine, San Antonio, TX, 78235, USA

    Anna Rogalska & Melanie Musselman

Authors
  1. Amanda J. Chase
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  2. Mark A. Clark
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  3. Anna Rogalska
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  4. Melanie Musselman
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Amanda J. Chase.

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The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Ethical Approval

Human subject research approval for this study was obtained from the University of the Incarnate Word Institutional Review Board on August 18, 2017, approval number 17-08-005.

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Chase, A.J., Clark, M.A., Rogalska, A. et al. Cultivating Patient-Physician Communication About Vaccination Through Vaccine Metaphors. Med.Sci.Educ. 30, 1015–1017 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00981-6

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s40670-020-00981-6

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