Barriers to communicating about HPV vaccination: A case study of parents and healthcare providers in a rural, religious community

The purpose of this dissertation was to learn more about the communication barriers and strategies reported by parents of pediatric patients and healthcare providers regarding vaccination against Human Papillomavirus (HPV). Participants in this study were parents of pediatric patients and pediatric healthcare providers at two health facilities in a rural, southern, religious community. My research questions sought to understand the communication barriers and communication strategies that could impact vaccine decision-making, not the decision-making process. I held preliminary informal interviews with providers; conducted in-depth, semi-structured interviews with parents and providers; and took extensive field notes. The data presented five types of communication barriers: comfort with the discourse, education, perceived risk, religion and vaccine acceptance. Three communication strategies were found: collaborating, framing and relationship building. My recommendations include the following: the relationship between parent and provider should be enhanced; both parties should listen intently; providers should work to understand the communication barriers presented by parents; and providers should develop frames, specifically the stories used to explain and elicit vaccination.;Keywords: Human Papillomavirus, patient/provider communication, Gardasil vaccination, vaccination communication..