Editorial

Recommendations for primary care physicians to improve HPV vaccination rates during clinical encounters

Roberto Cardarelli^1* and Kathryn M Cardarelli^2*

¹  Primary Care Research Institute, UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, USA

²  Center of Community Health, UNT Health Science Center at Fort Worth, 3500 Camp Bowie Blvd, Fort Worth, Texas 76107, USA

author email corresponding author email* Contributed equally

Osteopathic Medicine and Primary Care 2008, 2:10doi:10.1186/1750-4732-2-10

Published:	23 October 2008

Abstract

The availability of the human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine has positioned primary care physicians to play an active role in ensuring its successful implementation. However, physicians must be aware of common knowledge, attitudes, and belief barriers associated with HPV and the vaccine that are often encountered during clinical visits. This editorial provides primary care physicians an overview of these barriers and realistic recommendations utilizing the "5A's" – Awareness, Assess, Address, Acceptability, and Activate. This mnemonic can help facilitate a physician's systematic approach to increasing HPV vaccination rates during the clinical encounter.