Appointment Reminders - It's Time For Your Flu Shot

The CDC (Center for Disease Control) estimates that about 146 million doses of the flu shot were distributed last season. For the 2016-2017 season, manufacturers have projected they will provide as many as 157 to 168 million doses of injectable influenza vaccine for the U.S. market. That's a lot of flu shots to distribute, so how do doctors get the word out? Automated messaging services, like Text-Em-All's, are one-way healthcare professionals deliver appointment reminders and other important notifications regarding flu shots.

Efficient Appointment Reminders

Physicians can record a voice message reminding their patients that it's time to make an appointment. Patients can press a button to connect with the office or call to schedule their flu shot. Rather than call patients individually, the message can be sent to an office's entire patient list at one time. In just a few minutes, an office can communicate efficiently to all of their patients.

"We had over 700 reminder calls to make for our seasonal flu vaccine, and this allowed us to do it with ease."
--Christa Shilling, MI

Here are some other good uses for healthcare professionals who want to use an automated messaging service:

• Annual Checkups
• Staffing Notifications
• Research Opportunities
• Wellness Tips
• Clinic Availability

A few things are new this season that physicians may want to consider telling patients about:

1. Only injectable flu shots are recommended
2. Vaccines have been updated to match current strains
3. Egg allergy recommendations have changed
4. Special does for older people

Everyone 6 months and older should get a flu vaccine every year by the end of October, if possible. However, getting vaccinated later is OK. Vaccination should continue throughout the flu season, even in January or later. Some children, who have received flu vaccine previously and children who have only received one dose in their lifetime, may need two doses of flu vaccine. A health care provider can advise on how many doses a child should get.

Here are some more frequently asked questions from the CDC.

Visit our website to learn more about Call-Em-All and how we help Health Care professionals communicate important information quickly and effectively.