Thoughts and Consideration Regarding Immigrant Clinicians: Is Cultural Preservation Influencing Providers’ Practice in HPV Vaccination?

Abstract

Immigrant clinicians are vital to population healthcare delivery and therefore population health. One in four physicians in the United States are foreign-born and notably represented in family and pediatric medicine – specialties charged with administering childhood/adolescent vaccines, such as Human Papillomavirus vaccine (HPVV). Our examination suggests there may be unique cultural and socialization factors that influence clinician HPVV recommendation practice; however, immigrant clinicians have not been adequately engaged within the national HPVV agenda. Given the volume and significance of immigrant clinicians, engagement of these clinicians, in both community and nation-wide efforts to increase HPVV, is a necessary step for improving and achieving the national health goal of optimizing HPVV for cancer prevention.

Keywords:

• HPV vaccination
• immigrant clinicians
• cultural preservation
• health disparities

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

NIH-NCI Cancer Center Support Grant (4-P30-CA033572-33).