Supporting herpes zoster vaccination through augmented communication: A randomized controlled trial

Objective: This study examined whether an augmented physician communication style combining positively framed side effect information with high warmth and competence improves expectations and vaccination intentions in adults with an indication for herpes zoster vaccination. Method: In a preregistered randomized experiment (DRKS00034883), 174 participants from indicated risk groups were recruited from outpatient clinics at a university hospital (September 2024-July 2025). Participants were randomly assigned to view either a standard communication video or an augmented communication video that included supportive, warm, and expectation-enhancing elements. After viewing their assigned video, participants reported expected side effect intensity, expected coping with side effects, vaccination intention, and perceived physician warmth. Results: The augmented communication group did not differ from the standard communication group in expected intensity of side effects. However, participants in the augmented group reported better coping expectations and higher intentions to receive the herpes zoster vaccine. An exploratory mediation analysis was consistent with perceived physician warmth as one pathway: Augmented communication increased warmth perceptions, which predicted higher vaccination intention. Conclusions: A brief, video-based augmented communication can improve coping-related expectations and strengthen self-reported vaccination intention in adults eligible for herpes zoster vaccination, recruited from outpatient clinics. Because no vaccine was administered, these findings speak to expectations and intentions rather than to actual uptake or experienced side effects. Broader generalizability is limited by the anonymous single-site data collection. The results nonetheless suggest that scalable communication strategies are a promising avenue for supporting vaccination readiness, a possibility that warrants testing in real vaccination settings. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2026 APA, all rights reserved).