WCPO-TV: Doctors say trust-based relationships key to get more patients vaccinated against COVID-19

Louito Edje, MD, associate dean of graduate medical education at the UC College of Medicine and UC Medical Center, spoke with WCPO reporter Larry Seward about ways to boost public confidence in the COVID-19 vaccine. Edje, also a family medicine physician at UC Health, hopes that long-standing relationships doctors have built with patients will help in reaching 80% herd immunity against COVID-19.

"I have one patient, for example, I’ve convinced to get the vaccine,” Dr. Lou Edje told WCPO listeners. “She's like as soon as it gets to your office, I'll do it. Well now I can tell her we are this much closer to have those in our office and we can go ahead and we'll watch you for the minutes after and so forth, and any side affects you can talk directly to me about those. That's part of our role and we look forward to it.”

A study by the NAACP found that physicians in Black and Latino communities -- two populations that are one or two times more likely to get COVID-19 than white communities -- hold influence in more than two-thirds of their patients. The study also showed that people who are vaccine-hesitant were more likely to trust people who looked like them.

Listen to the full interview with WCPO online.

Learn more about Louito Edje, MD.

Featured image of Louito Edje, MD, taken by Colleen Kelley/UC Creative + Brand.