Terra Manca - Academia.edu (original) (raw)

Papers by Terra Manca

Social Science & Medicine

IV ISA Forum of Sociology (February 23-28, 2021), Feb 25, 2021

Human Vaccines & Immunotherapeutics

Background: Health care providers' knowledge and attitudes about vaccines are important d... more Background: Health care providers' knowledge and attitudes about vaccines are important determinants of their own vaccine uptake, their intention to recommend vaccines, and their patients' vaccine uptake. This qualitative study' objective was to better understand health care providers' vaccination decisions, their views on barriers to COVID-19 vaccine acceptance and proposed solutions, their opinions on vaccine policies, and their perceived role in discussing COVID-19 vaccination with patients. Methods: Semi-structured interviews on perceptions of COVID-19 vaccines were conducted with Canadian health care providers (N = 14) in spring 2021. A qualitative thematic analysis using NVivo was conducted. Results: Participants had positive attitudes toward vaccination and were vaccinated against COVID-19 or intended to do so once eligible (two delayed their first dose). Only two were actively promoting COVID-19 vaccination to their patients; others either avoided discussing the topic or only provided answers when asked questions. Participants' proposed solutions to enhance COVID-19 vaccine uptake in the public were in relation to access to vaccination services, information in multiple languages, and community outreach. Most participants were in favor of mandatory vaccination policies and had mixed views on the potential impact of the Canadian vaccine-injury support program. Conclusions: While health care providers are recognized as a key source of information regarding vaccines, participants in our study did not consider it their role to provide advice on COVID-19 vaccination. This is a missed opportunity that could be avoided by ensuring health care providers have the tools and training to feel confident in engaging in vaccine discussions with their patients. Keywords: Canada; Health professionals; immunization; infectious disease; pandemic; qualitative research; risk perceptions; semi-structured interviews; vaccine hesitancy.

BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic generated an explosion in the amount of information shared onlin... more BACKGROUND The COVID-19 pandemic generated an explosion in the amount of information shared online, including false and misleading information on the virus, and recommended protective behaviours. Prior to the pandemic, online mis- and disinformation were already identified as having an impact on people’s decision to refuse or delay recommended vaccination for themselves or their children. OBJECTIVE The overall aim of this study is to better understand the influence of online mis- and disinformation on COVID-19 decisions and investigate potential solutions to reduce the impact of online mis- and disinformation about vaccines. METHODS Based on different research approaches, this study involves 1) the use of artificial intelligence techniques, 2) a online survey, 3) interviews and, 4) a scoping review and an environmental scan of the literature. RESULTS As of September 1st, 2022, data collection is completed for all objectives. Analysis is being conducted and results should be dissemin...

Journal of Women's Health

Pre- and post student survey questions.</p

Nurse-derived rotation objectives (Objectives in bold are the non-technical objectives).... more Nurse-derived rotation objectives (Objectives in bold are the non-technical objectives).</p

Canadian Family Physician, 2017

Engaged Scholar Journal: Community-Engaged Research, Teaching, and Learning, 2018

This paper reports on a pilot project that involved the incorporation of Community Service-Learni... more This paper reports on a pilot project that involved the incorporation of Community Service-Learning (CSL) into a large Introductory Sociology class by drawing on the critical reflections of the six graduate student instructors and the primary instructor who taught the course. Graduate student instructors individually facilitated weekly seminars for about 30 undergraduate students, half of which participated in CSL, completing 20 hours of volunteer work with a local non-profit community organization. We discuss the benefits of incorporating CSL into a large Introductory Sociology class and speculate on the value of our particular course format for the professional development of graduate student instructors. A main finding was the critical importance to graduate students of formal and informal training and collaboration prior to and during the delivery of the course. Graduate students found useful exposure to CSL as pedagogical theory and practice, and appreciated the hands-on teachi...

Technology in Society, 2018

Health, Risk & Society, 2016

Some vaccine supporters interpret vaccine uncertainties as a form of public ignorance caused by p... more Some vaccine supporters interpret vaccine uncertainties as a form of public ignorance caused by patients’ online research, failed physician–patient relationships, or inadequate knowledge translation. These interpretations often portray health professionals as homogeneously accepting of all scheduled vaccines for all patients. Nonetheless, health professionals may have limited knowledge about vaccines because the demands of their profession require them to have a broad understanding of a variety of health topics. In this article, I draw on data from interviews with twenty-six physicians and seven nurses in Alberta, Canada between 2013 and 2014, to examine how they used narratives to convey confidence, uncertainty, or doubts in vaccines. All interviewees supported the culturally dominant vaccine narrative that vaccines are essential to population health, yet they also spoke about uncertainties. Interviewees managed their uncertainties through tactics that confirmed accepting vaccination was the most desirable course of action. With each of these tactics, interviewees shared narratives about communicable diseases, vaccine benefits and risks to individual patients, and their reasons for trusting in medical science. When these narratives did not fully resolve medical uncertainties, health professionals often explained that either vaccination was beyond their professional responsibilities or that their uncertainties were irrelevant.

Journal of Religion and Health, 2011

Christian Science is the largest and most recognized of various spiritual healing groups that enc... more Christian Science is the largest and most recognized of various spiritual healing groups that encourage members to forgo or overcome the need for medicine. Even so, it appears that some Scientists occasionally use medicine. In this study, I argue that Scientists in one region of Canada respond to influences on their healthcare practices differently and follow a variety of healthcare practices. These practices range from refusing medically necessary treatment (which could potentially harm individuals' health) to making full use of the medical system. I base my findings primarily on interviews with eleven current members and one former Christian Scientist.

Social Science & Medicine, 2018

Journal of Religion and Popular Culture, 2012

: In the 1950s, L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology and offered it as the key to surviving nuclear... more : In the 1950s, L. Ron Hubbard founded Scientology and offered it as the key to surviving nuclear fallout. Hubbard’s success in promoting his claims depended on his ability to convince some people that Scientology was a unique science with more authority to state the truth than orthodox science. These claims contributed to both Scientology’s and Hubbard’s financial well-being, but provided little to no benefit for followers and may have harmed some patients. Despite diminished fears of nuclear holocaust, Scientology continues to promote purification programs based on the radiation claims Hubbard made.

Scientology’s greatest battle. Scientology emerged from Dianetics, which Hubbard hoped would repl... more Scientology’s greatest battle. Scientology emerged from Dianetics, which Hubbard hoped would replace the psychiatric profession. In this article, we discuss how Scientology attempted to position itself as a rival profession to psychiatry and the consequences of those attempts. Scientology’s battle with psychiatry gained some success from the social conditions during which it emerged, but it continues in a time that has seen increasing success with various psychiatric treatments. As such, Scientology’s direct influence on the psychiatric profession may be difficult to measure, but its actions have coincided with substantial challenges to psychiatry.