Between the news, social media, clickbait articles, and word of mouth there is a lot of COVID-19 information floating around- some factual and some not. The general public is tasked with reconciling conflicting information and determining trustworthy sources of truth. Information overload has contributed to vaccine hesitancy.

 

Some people are worried about what’s in the vaccine, how it will affect them, and potential long-term side effects. Others are trying to understand eligibility and fear long lines and chaos at distribution clinics. Aligning your patient experience (PX) and marketing initiatives helps you understand patient feedback and concerns, so you can focus on communicating the most relevant information and resources. Effective vaccine communication incorporates two crucial concepts, transparency and personalization.

 

Effective Vaccine Communication: Keep it Transparent and Personalized

 

 

 

TRANSPARENCY: Authenticity helps manage and align expectations

 

Organizations often learn how much vaccine supply they’ll be receiving with less than a week’s notice. Compound that with the fact that organizations only want to open appointments for vaccine they know they’ll have, and you’ve got a logistical nightmare. Being upfront and open with patients to let them know you’re doing your best with the information you have helps build understanding and trust.

 

Holding Q&A forums and information sessions allows you to connect directly with patients and communities. Organizations such as Whitman-Walker Health and Choptank Community Health have had success with Instagram live sessions, meeting people where they are to offer up answers and address concerns. Additionally, sharing recommendations and vaccine clinic reviews lets people hear from peers in their own words that they had a great experience.

 

 

PERSONALIZATION: People want to hear from others like them

 

To make information relevant and compelling, people want to hear about experiences from others like them. Sharing pictures and statements on social media and websites helps create connections and humanize vaccine efforts. Segmenting your patient populations helps you craft tailored messages and ensure you’re being inclusive of different backgrounds and cultures.

 

While surveys can elicit feedback around things like wait time, cleanliness, or a specific provider, they can also be a medium for gathering stories. Whether you’re including a “Tell us more” question or directing people to review sites post-survey, providing patients with opportunities to share personal accounts is essential and builds up your “catalog” of stories to share as you address different facets of the community.

 

Feedtrail can help you proactively reach out to patients to communicate vaccine eligibility and availability, gather reviews and feedback to share, and send out surveys to understand the causes of vaccine hesitancy so you provide the right resources and education.

 

 

For more best practices, download the “Vaccine Distribution XM Playbook” and tackle five key focus areas to get feedback, make improvements, and energize staff:

 

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