Laura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Vaccine hesitancy among parents stems from many different causes. Understanding parents' beliefs and concerns about vaccines is essential for determining how to foster open and honest dialogue while addressing their uncertainties.
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
The proliferation of misinformation and the confusion about vaccines often highlight the broader issue of health literacy and patient comprehension, or in the case of pediatrics, parent comprehension of health information.
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Conducting appointments for pediatric patients who have vaccine-hesitant parents can cause stress and frustration for pediatricians and other pediatric providers. However, having a structured and practiced approach for communicating with these parents can help alleviate some of the anxiety associated with these encounters.
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Discussing benefits and risks of proposed treatments, therapies, and medications — including vaccinations — is an essential part of educating parents and involving them in their children's care. Pediatric providers should make parents aware of the beneficial aspects of immunizations and their potential adverse outcomes (e.g., allergic reactions, fever, rash, soreness, headaches, tiredness, etc.).
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Vaccine hesitancy arises for various reasons, many of which are rooted in a lack of understanding about vaccines. Much like poor health literacy impedes patient comprehension of medical concepts, inadequate science literacy is an obstacle when communicating with vaccine-hesitant parents of pediatric patients.
Read moreLaura M. Cascella, MA, CPHRM
Despite best efforts at education and communication, pediatricians and other pediatric providers will continue to encounter parents who refuse some or all vaccinations for their children or who do not want to follow the recommended immunization schedule. When these situations occur, the following guidance can help pediatric providers promote ongoing collaboration with parents and reduce potential liability risks:
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The patient was a male in his mid-forties who suffered from chronic pain of unknown etiology. He was a long-time patient of Dr. B, a MedPro-insured family medicine physician. Dr. B referred the patient to an anesthesiologist, Dr. M, who subspecialized in pain management. Dr. M started the patient on a fentanyl patch (25 mcg/hour), and then gradually increased the patient's dose to 100 mcg/hour.
Read moreMarcy A. Metzgar
Providers install surveillance cameras in their healthcare practices for a variety of reasons. They seek to protect and secure all their office and medical equipment, health records, and medications in their offices; their employees; and their patients. Some wish to prevent access into their offices by unauthorized individuals that may result in theft, violence, or patient record violations. Others want to prevent any physical or verbal abuse that may occur. And some appreciate being able to monitor their practices remotely.
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