Is your practice considering distributing COVID-19 vaccines in the near future? Not only is it a great way to increase patient volume, but it also promotes public health at a critical time in our country.
While the option to offer vaccinations at your practice is a smart one, there are common concerns patients have that should be considered before you begin the registration process.
Here are a few of patients’ biggest complaints and ways to address them.
Complaint: “Phone lines are always busy when I call to book an appointment”
Getting vaccinated is a top priority on many people’s minds, so it only makes sense that call volumes at practices offering vaccines are higher than usual. This leads to front desk staff burnout, impeding them from focusing on other patient concerns.
The Solution: Encourage online appointment scheduling
Avoid phone lines altogether by offering online scheduling instead. Send an email out to your patients informing them that this is the best way to book an appointment, and you’re on your way to happier staff and the freedom to keep the phone lines open for other urgent calls.
Complaint: “I don’t want to touch dirty clipboards and pens when I arrive”
If the patient is coming in to protect themselves against COVID-19, they’ll likely be concerned about using communal clipboards and pens. Not only do those items spread germs, but they also take time to administer and collect.
The Solution: Offer digital check-in
Alleviate your patient’s fears as much as possible by offering digital check-in. You will get any necessary intake out of the way prior to their visit and decrease the risk of spreading germs to patients who are trying to avoid catching the virus.
Complaint: “I don’t know HOW to register for my COVID-19 vaccination”
When it comes to actually making a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, many people don’t know where to begin, especially if they’re less tech-savvy. As a result, many people who are eligible for the vaccine are missing out on valuable opportunities to receive one in a timely fashion.
The Solution: QR code and tablet registration
Offer patients the opportunity to register for their vaccine via QR code if they have a smartphone, or provide them with a tablet to register if they don’t. By having signage in your office, brochures with the QR code printed on it, and correspondences sent out to your patients explaining their options, you’ll eliminate all of the guesswork for them.
Complaint: “I don’t know WHERE to register for my COVID-19 vaccination”
Some websites have been less than user-friendly for patients seeking vaccines. Confusing navigation, buttons in unintuitive places, and messy interfaces have left patients frustrated with the online scheduling experience, often giving up altogether to find a different option.
The Solution: An easy-to-notice button on the front page of your website
If you’re offering online scheduling, make it hard for a patient to miss on your website where to click to schedule a vaccine. Put a button in a noticeable place on your front page, and allow them to schedule in as few clicks as possible.
Complaint: “I don’t feel safe going into a crowded waiting room”
If a patient is coming in to be vaccinated, chances are they’ll feel uncomfortable sitting in a crowded room of strangers, fearing they might catch the virus. Social distancing is still paramount to fighting COVID-19, so keeping waiting rooms clear is a necessary step for patients’ peace of mind.
The Solution: Make the patient’s vehicle their waiting room
Instruct your patients to stay in their cars until you are ready to see them. By doing this, you’ll promote social distancing and assuage any of your patients’ fears about becoming infected during their visit.
The Simplest Way to Implement ALL of These Solutions
Whether you’re looking for software solutions for easy online scheduling, a comprehensive digital check-in, QR codes for vaccination registration, or a tool to encourage social distancing, DocResponse is your one-stop-shop.
Distribute COVID-19 vaccinations without patient lamentations! Schedule a demo today to learn more about how DocResponse will maximize your COVID-19 workflow. We are dedicated to helping you reach your goals with our technologies, and we want to help you stop the spread of COVID-19.
There is no better time to act than now, and there’s no greater goal than improving public health!