24 GHP Q4 2022 Many corporate pharmacies chase a rise in efficiency at the expense of the care and empathy patients deserve. Thankfully the fast, friendly, and familyowned neighborhood pharmacy, Fishtown Pharmacy, is servicing the Fishtown neighborhood of Pennsylvania. Now, as we enter the third year of accepting COVIDas a part of our lives, the pharmacy’s owner, Kris Hunsicker shares some words on his hopes for healthcare practitioners to keep their minds open to new approaches to overcoming vaccine hesitancy. As COVID lingers, I find it frustrating to hear healthcare practitioners constantly complaining about patient’s vaccine hesitancy while remaining reluctant to try anything new. In Adam Grant’s recent book Think Again, Arnaud Gagneur, is the focus of the chapter “The Vaccine Whisperer.” Arnaud outlines a clinically proven process known as motivational interviewing. The process requires the interviewer to adopt an attitude of curiosity and humility. The goal is not to tell people what to do, but to help them realize the other possibilities they’ve not considered. That self-recognition can trigger people to change their own mind. The process of motivational interviewing involves three key techniques: 1. Ask open-ended questions. 2. Engage in reflective listening. 3. Affirm the person’s desire and ability to change. Psychologists and physicians utilizing motivational interviewing have a success rate of four in five, and the technique has been found to have a statistically significant and clinically meaningful effect. Trust develops when a patient genuinely believes their choice will be respected, regardless of outcome. A patient describes the major turning point in her vaccine decision occurring when Arnaud “told me that whether I chose to vaccinate or not, he respected my decision as someone who wanted the best for my kids.” By never putting any pressure on the person, you affirm their freedom to make up their own mind. This feeling of freedom of choice allows the interviewer to introduce facts without making someone feel judged. Grant explains, “When people have a chance to express themselves out loud, they often discover new thoughts.” When people are given more than one choice, they feel in control of their decision. In Jonah Berger’s book The Catalyst: How To Change Anyone’s Mind, the author uses junk food as an example. Instead of telling someone, “You don’t need junk food; it’s bad for you,” ask them, “Do you think junk food is bad for you?” Most people are aware junk food is bad for them. After self acknowledgement, that person is left in an awkward position to move forward in the argument. Simply put: Ask, don’t tell! By taking the time to understand a patient’s concerns instead of dismissing them, you convey a sincere interest in their well-being. Letting patients know we care enough to hear their story without interruption is the first step in establishing trust. As Grant describes this invaluable realization, “It’s a way of offering others our scarcest, most precious gift: our attention.” Contact: Kris Hunsicker Company: Fishtown Pharmacy Web Address: https://fishtownpharmacy.com/ Best Independent FamilyOwned Local Pharmacy – Pennsylvania Aug22216 “The process requires the interviewer to adopt an attitude of curiosity and humility. The goal is not to tell people what to do, but to help them realize the other possibilities they’ve not considered. That selfrecognition can trigger people to change their own mind.”
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