title: How you start the conversation matters.
abstract: Immunization rates are one of the many measures of quality care that are of interest to physicians. Immunization rates for children younger than 3 years of age in Minnesota have held steady between 80% and 90%. One reason they have not increased is because of emerging hesitancy among some parents to vaccinate their children. This article describes what research has taught us about working with vaccine-hesitant parents and how starting a conversation in a way that presumes parents will vaccinate may improve the odds of children getting immunized.
authors.forename: Douglas J
authors.initials: DJ
authors.lastname: Opel
authors.forename: Lynn
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bahta
mesh_terms: D002675:Child, Preschool; D003142:Communication; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D033282:Parental Consent / Q000523:psychology; D010290:Parents / Q000193:education* / Q000523:psychology; D010565:Persuasive Communication; D016312:Treatment Refusal / Q000523:psychology; D014611:Vaccination / Q000523:psychology / Q000706:statistics & numerical data