5 ways to ensure patients come back for their second vaccine

With over 5,000 General Practices around Australia participating in the COVID-19 vaccine rollout, General Practice has quickly become a critical partner for the National Rollout Strategy.  

To assist General Practice during the vaccine rollout, the Department of Health and Services Australia has introduced the PIP COVID-19 Vaccine General Practice Incentive. I have found that many practices are relying on their practice data to ensure that they meet the first and second-dose service at the same practice criteria. This article will outline five ways you can make sure patients come back for their second vaccine to secure the PIP payment.  

1. Bulk SMS eligible patients to book them in for a COVID-19 vaccine

Utilise your practice data by generating a list of patients eligible to receive their first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine but don’t have an appointment booked. Give this list to your admin team to send out a bulk SMS inviting these patients to book in for their first dose via your Practice Management System (PMS) or your Online Appointment Vendor.  

2. Contact DNAs to rebook missed appointments

To ensure that you secure the PIP incentive, patients must attend both of their vaccine appointments. Therefore, should you have DNAs, you should generate a list for your admin staff to get in contact with these patients to make sure they rebook a vaccine appointment. 

Interested in learning how you can use Cubiko to ensure patients come back to receive their second vaccine?

3. Booking in patients for their second COVID-19 vaccine

We want to ensure that patients are booked in for their second vaccine appointment just as they’ve received their first vaccine. I recommend that during or immediately after the patient’s first vaccine appointment, the nurse or admin team get patients booked in for their second appointment. You can also utilise your practice data to identify patients who have received their first vaccine but don’t have a second appointment booked.  

4. Keep your data up to date by asking patients if they received a dose from another clinic

For the continuity of care and conversations around the vaccine, it can be incredibly beneficial to know where the patient received their COVID-19 vaccine. Your PMS, such as Best Practice, allows you to record if your patient received the vaccine from you or a different practice. When your practitioners meet with patients and learn that their patients received the vaccine from another clinic, it’s important that they record this in your PMS. 

5. Connect with your patients on social media to let them know you're administering the vaccine

Connect with your patients via social media to inform them that you are administering the COVID-19 vaccine. To avoid an influx in calls to your reception team, outline clear instructions on how patients can book in for COVID-19 appointments online.  

Cubiko, Vaccination Support cabinet provides valuable insights into how your practice is rolling out the vaccine. You can utilise the metrics within this cabinet to identify patients’ eligibility and vaccine appointment status to help you ensure your patients are being booked in for their appointments. 

Next Steps

Book in a demo today to learn more about how you can use Cubiko to help you book patients in for their second vaccine, ensuring that you secure your PIP COVID-19 General Practice Incentive. 

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