Role of Healthcare Professionals and Sociodemographic Characteristics in COVID-19 Vaccination Acceptance among Uro-Oncology Patients: A Cross-Sectional Observational Study

Abstract

At the time when mass COVID-19 vaccination began, providing appropriate vaccination advice to uro-oncology patients became a challenge. This was a single-center cross-sectional observational study aimed to investigate the rate of COVID-19 vaccination among uro-oncology patients receiving systemic therapy for metastatic renal cell carcinoma and metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer. Furthermore, we aimed to assess patients’ attitudes and identify factors influencing their decision to vaccinate against COVID-19. Data on patients’ sociodemographic characteristics, vaccination status, and awareness and attitudes about COVID-19 vaccination were collected from questionnaires completed by the patients. A total of 173 patients were enrolled in this study, and 124 (71.7%) of them completed the COVID-19 vaccination. Significantly higher vaccination rates were found in male patients, and also in older patients, highly educated patients, and those who lived with one household member. Furthermore, we found significantly higher vaccination rates in patients who had consulted with doctors involved in their treatment, particularly with urologists. A significant association was observed between COVID-19 vaccination and doctor’s advice, family member influence, and personal beliefs toward the vaccination. Our study showed multiple associations of patients’ sociodemographic characteristics with vaccination rates. Furthermore, consultation with doctors who are particularly involved in oncology treatment and advice received from them were associated with significantly higher vaccination rates among uro-oncology patients.

Assessing Physician Confidence in Counseling Patients on COVID-19 Disease and Vaccination: A Survey of Physicians’ Perspectives in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

“…Furthermore, men are more likely to experience more severe COVID-19 infection outcomes and morphologies, according to a meta-analysis by Booth et al, which may help to explain our results. Nonetheless, contrary to what we found, other research has indicated that women are more likely to accept vaccinations [17].…”

“…Specifically, compared to patients who lived alone or with multiple household members, those who shared a residence had the highest vaccination rate. Additionally, their results demonstrated that patients were more likely to get vaccinated themselves if they indicated that a family member's influence had a significant role in their decision to finish immunization and if they had family members who had received the COVID-19 vaccine [17]. The authors argue that the high frequency of conspiracy theories regarding COVID-19, which was purposefully introduced into the world to aid in the development of vaccines against it, may be the cause of these disparities in vaccination willingness among various nations.…”

Psychological Factors of Vaccination Intent among Healthcare Providers, Parents, and Laypeople

“…Healthcare providers (HPs) and parents are the two pillars of vaccination programs highlighted by the literature. The role of HPs in facilitating vaccination is vital [ 17 , 18 , 19 , 20 ], and, although they can differ in terms of stance toward vaccination [ 21 ], the majority have a strong positive consensus [ 22 ].…”