Exploring dermatologists' perspectives on vaccines in dermatology: a qualitative study

Vaccination rates among adults in the United States, including dermatology patients, remain suboptimal. Previous research has concluded that outpatient specialty offices often have administrative and patient-related barriers to administering vaccines in their clinics, however, this has never been examined specifically in dermatology. This study aims to examine dermatologists' perspectives on vaccine education in dermatology clinics, identify facilitators and barriers to vaccine administration in dermatology clinics, and explore strategies to improve vaccination rates in dermatology patients. Virtual, semi-structured interviews were conducted with board-certified dermatologists to explore their perspectives on vaccines in dermatology clinic. The Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research was used to analyze the data. Participating dermatologists were 60% female (n = 9) and 40% male (n = 6) and had a median of 7 years of clinic experience (min-max: 3-39 years). Vaccine education emerged as one of the prominent themes during the interview with dermatologists, who emphasized the importance of comprehensive vaccine education for both healthcare providers and patients. Barriers identified encompassed patient hesitancy, lack of provider knowledge, resource limitations, and logistical challenges. Dermatologists proposed solutions such as standardized protocols, improved patient communication, enhanced coordination with other healthcare providers, and increased clinic resources. These results emphasize that dermatologists can play a crucial role in advocating for and addressing preventative care through vaccine implementation and provide a high-level framework to think about implementation. Additionally, this study highlights the need for comprehensive vaccine education, systematic implementation strategies, and organizational support within dermatology clinics to improve vaccine administration for patients.