PILLAR 2: Patient Communication

two pillars

Improving Communication to Patients

Problem:  Patients do not know they should be vaccinated. Physician recommendation is central to vaccine acceptance.

Solution:  Discuss serious matters of vaccine-preventable diseases.

  • Physician recommendation makes a difference among patients hesitant to be vaccinated.
  • Post vaccination flyers and posters in exam and waiting rooms.
  • Remind parents and grandparents that they could transmit flu or whooping cough to their loved ones; this is a powerful motivator as no parent or grandparent wants to be responsible for a child or grandchild being hospitalized due to a preventable infectious disease.

Problem:  Reaching the patients who do not routinely receive annual influenza vaccine.

Solutions:

  • Make vaccinations part of the conversation at every visit, from all staff with patient contact, throughout the year.
  • Encourage staff vaccination and use it as support for the importance of vaccination.
    • Patients will be reluctant to take vaccines that the staff refuse

Problem:  Patients need to know when convenient vaccination services are available in your office.

Solution:  Notify patients automatically, which can be accomplished using the following:

  •  Office posters
  •  Email
  •  Text messaging
  •  Social media
  •  Auto dialer
  •  Answering system messages
  •  Patient portals