Vaccine counseling: a content analysis of patient-physician discussions regarding human papilloma virus vaccine.

Objectives: (1) Describe content and character of patient-physician human papilloma virus (HPV) vaccine discussions; (2) explore the relationship between selected characteristics and vaccine uptake.

Methods: Content analyses were conducted on 184 transcripts of audio-taped patient encounters with 11-26 year old female patients that occurred from August 2008 to March 2009 and contained mention of the HPV vaccine. Directed qualitative content analysis sought to identify key themes with a focus on elements related to communication.