Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices Regarding Respiratory Syncytial Virus Vaccine for Older Adults Among Family Medicine Practitioners at King Khalid University Hospital, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia

TL;DR

This study examines how well family doctors in Saudi Arabia understand and use RSV vaccines for older adults, finding gaps in awareness and confidence.

Contribution

The study identifies specific barriers and factors influencing RSV vaccine implementation by primary care providers in Saudi Arabia.

Findings

Only 29.2% of practitioners reported limited RSV vaccination practices, with 14.2% prescribing or administering it.

Lack of provider awareness was the main barrier, reported by 80.8% of participants.

Better practices were linked to higher knowledge, positive attitudes, job position, and experience.

Abstract

Objectives: The introduction of respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccines for older adults has created new implementation demands in primary care. This study aimed to assess family medicine practitioners' knowledge, attitudes, and self-reported practices regarding RSV vaccination in older adults and to identify the factors associated with these outcomes.

Methods: A cross-sectional analytical study was conducted with 120 family medicine practitioners. They completed a validated structured questionnaire regarding their background, knowledge, attitudes, practices, and perceived barriers to RSV vaccination. Descriptive statistics, correlation analyses, and chi-squared tests were used to examine the links between practitioner characteristics and knowledge, attitudes, and practices.

Results: Attitudes were somewhat positive (35.8%), but many were not confident discussing RSV vaccination. Actual practices were limited (29.2%); only 14.2% prescribed or administered RSV vaccines, and 49.2% had never discussed vaccination. The primary barrier was a lack of provider awareness (80.8%). Knowledge and attitude scores were closely linked, and better practices were associated with greater knowledge, more positive attitudes, job position, and longer experience. Family physicians had favorable knowledge and attitudes regarding RSV vaccination.

Conclusions: We found a misalignment between awareness, confidence, and self-reported clinical practice regarding RSV vaccination in primary care. Implementation barriers appear to extend beyond vaccine availability and include gaps in clinician preparedness and role clarity, highlighting the need for targeted implementation supports, such as clear clinical responsibility, decision workflows, and patient communication tools, alongside education.

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