Vietnamese Health Care Providers’ Preferences Regarding Recommendation of HPV Vaccines

Physician recommendation is an important predictor of HPV vaccine acceptance; however, physicianwillingness and preferences regarding HPV vaccination may be influenced by factors including patient age, vaccinetype, and cost. A cross-sectional survey was administered to a convenience sample of health care providers in DaNang, Vietnam, to evaluate awareness, perceptions about HPV and HPV vaccines, and willingness to vaccinate afemale patient. Willingness to vaccinate was evaluated using a full-factorial presentation of scenarios featuringthe following factors: vaccine cost (free vs 1,000,000 VND), patient age (12, 16, or 22 years), and HPV vaccinetype (bivalent vs quadrivalent). Responses from 244 providers were analyzed; providers had a mean age of 34± 11.9 years; a majority were female, married, and had children of their own. Thirty-six percent specialized inobstetrics/gynecology and 24% were providers in family medicine. Of the three factors considered in conjointanalysis, vaccine cost was the most important factor in willingness to vaccinate, followed by patient age, andvaccine type. The most favorable scenario for vaccinating a female patient was when the vaccine was free, thepatient was 22 years of age, and the HPV4 vaccine was described. In multivariable analysis, older age, beinga physician, being married, and having children were all associated with increased willingness to recommendHPV vaccination (p<0.05). Provider willingness is an important aspect of successful HPV vaccination programs;identifying preferences and biases in recommendation patterns will highlight potential areas for education andintervention.