It has been acknowledged that vaccination is instrumental in preventing diverse serious health issues. Influenza vaccination is an effective tool to prevent influenza development or avoid associated complications. However, people are rather reluctant to comply with vaccination recommendations. Numerous educational interventions to increase this compliance exist, but they tend to have limited success. Technology can help in addressing the issue and motivating people to receive their vaccines (see Table 1). The use of social media is increasing at a high pace, so this platform can be utilized to improve the situation. An intervention that encompassed direct communication with the target population with a clear offer to get vaccinated proved to be effective (Brewer et al., 2018). Adolescents who visit a hospital for other purposes or accompanied their siblings were offered to be vaccinated, and two-thirds of the participants agreed to receive the vaccine. Hence, a direct invitation can have a positive impact on vaccination rates.
Table 1. Empirical Statement.
The suggested program will be conducted mainly through social media networks such as Facebook, Twitter, What’s Up, and Instagram. It is necessary to create a social media bot who will send a direct invitation to vaccinate oneself or a family member. People who have visited a hospital (but have not had their regular influenza vaccination) will be contacted by the bot through the media mentioned above. The bot can be represented by an account of a young female nurse who is smiling and attractive. The bot will be able to produce a number of simple phrases related to influenza vaccination with the focus on direct reminders and instructions regarding the exact places to be vaccinated.
In addition to this interaction, those who use Google Maps or similar applications will see certain symbols or some tags at the healthcare unit participating in the project where they can be vaccinated. These can be such symbols as a heart, a flower, a star. This can also be a phrase (influenza vaccine, influenza free, and similar) or the bot icon. Since this intervention will require the use of quite advanced technology, IT specialists will be involved in the project. The intervention will not require considerable funding as the messages sent by the bot can be easily developed by the medical staff and are quite similar to rather common text messages sent through mobile devices. The PICOT questions of the present project can be formulated in the following way:
Patients aged between 19 and 70 years old, who have not received their influenza vaccine in an outpatient setting, will receive a set of reminders from the social media bot to increase the rate of influenza vaccine uptake by 30% percent compared to patients who will not be informed within three months.
In conclusion, it is necessary to note that the use of social media has become a daily routine for millions of people irrespective of their backgrounds. Direct communication with patients can have a positive effect on their compliance with vaccination recommendations. The number of social media users is growing exponentially, so it is possible to reach many people within a short period of time. Quick reminders regarding people’s or their close ones’ health can motivate patients to receive their influenza vaccines.
Reference
Brewer, L., Belton, A., Heydinger, E., & Provyn, J. (2018). An innovative approach to increasing vaccination rates in a primary care clinic. Pediatrics, 141(1). Web.