GP phone calls to improve COVID-19 vaccine uptake among patients at increased risk of severe COVID-19: a randomised trial
Tuv, Marit; Elgersma, Ingeborg Hess; Furuseth, Ellen; Holst, Christine; Helleve, Arnfinn; Fretheim, Atle
Peer reviewed, Journal article
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Date
2023Metadata
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Abstract
Background: English media have reported that many unvaccinated individuals took the COVID-19
vaccine after receiving a phone call from their GP.
Aim: To determine whether phone calls from GPs to unvaccinated patients at increased risk of severe
COVID-19 improves uptake of the COVID-19 vaccine.
Design & setting: Randomised trial where 202 participants were allocated to receive a phone call
from their GP, and 452 participants were allocated to not get the call. Twenty-five GPs at 11 medical
centres in Norway took part. The post-trial focus group discussion was with five GPs.
Method: Participants were sourced from the GP electronic medical record system, which communicates
with the Norwegian Immunisation Registry and can generate a list of the GPs’ unvaccinated patients
at increased risk of severe COVID-19.
Results: The GPs managed to speak over the phone with 154 (76%) patients allocated to receiving a
phone call. At follow-up (average 7.5 weeks), 8.9% in the intervention group and 5.3% in the control
group had been vaccinated (odds ratio [OR] 1.72; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.90 to 3.28). Findings
from the focus group discussion suggested the timing of the intervention as a likely key reason for its
limited success.
Conclusion: An increase in the proportion of patients who took the COVID-19 vaccine in the
intervention group was observed, but the difference was smaller than anticipated, and may be a
chance finding. The effect of this type of intervention will likely vary across contexts and may have
proved more effective if a larger proportion of the population were unvaccinated.