Attitudes toward COVID-19 vaccination among urogynecology patients

Abstract

Objective: Urogynecology patients skew older and often require intimate exams to treat non-life-threatening conditions, thus making care particularly susceptible to the effects of COVID-19. We aim to understand COVID-19 vaccination attitudes amongst urogynecology patients during the pandemic, which has adversely affected healthcare delivery, to identify measures that can be undertaken to improve care going forward. Study design: Cross-sectional surveys of urogynecology patients were conducted in three different states (Delaware, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) between March and August 2021. Demographics, vaccination status, and COVID-19 attitudes were analyzed. Chi-square tests investigated group differences between vaccine-hesitant and unhesitant subjects. Results: Out of 158 surveys, eighty-three percent of respondents were vaccinated or planning to get vaccinated. Older age and regular flu vaccination predicted COVID-19 vaccination. Ninety-three percent of subjects were comfortable attending in-person visits. However, vaccine-hesitant individuals were less comfortable attending in-person and were significantly less likely to be comforted by clinic interventions, such as masking. Hesitant and unhesitant groups trusted doctors or medical professionals most for their source of COVID-19 information. Conclusions: Urogynecology patients mirror the general older population's COVID-19 vaccination attitudes, with distinct differences between hesitant and unhesitant groups. Vaccine-hesitant subjects appear less comfortable coming to in-person visits and less comforted by possible interventions, posing a difficult obstacle for clinics to overcome. High levels of patient trust suggest healthcare providers can play a crucial role in encouraging COVID-19 vaccination and combating misinformation.

Keywords

• Urogynecology
• Vaccine hesitancy
• Telemedicine
• COVID-19
• Vaccine attitudes