COVID-19 Vaccine Clinic Communications

When the COVID-19 vaccines first became available, supplies were short and access for patients was challenging. Anxieties were stoked, with people wondering when they would be able to receive the vaccine, and worrying they would be left behind in the process. Waitlists across the nation proved challenging for patients without internet access or who had difficulty navigating technology.

We sought to change that. To alleviate calls that began flooding our patient access team (PAT) before the vaccine had even arrived at our organization, we prioritized an online waitlist registration for all those who had the access and ability to utilize it.

For patients who were unable to complete the online form, we offered over-the-phone and in-person registration, and sent out a mailing to our patients ages 65 and greater. We were flooded with paper forms and thank you notes in return, from our patients who felt unburdened by the ease of our process.

We partnered with our translators to develop a plan to best reach our Spanish-speaking population, making sure they were deeply involved to advocate for our patients and help them through the waitlist process. Our online forms, handouts, webpages, and social media content were translated into Spanish, and our translators were present during vaccine clinics to guide our patients through their appointments.

Tensions and worry were high, as our community communicated their concerns that they would miss their chance to get the vaccine. To combat these concerns, all individuals who signed up on our waitlist had the ability to opt-in to our communication updates, which informed all individuals on the waitlist as to which phase of vaccination we were currently in, and other pertinent information. This allowed us to keep in touch, soothe fears, and remind our patients that we were still there for them.