The COVID 19 vaccine is one of the most anticipated health care solutions of our lifetime. Is your retail health clinic positioned to meet the distribution demands? Digital signage effortlessly streamlines your vaccine logistics management by (1) providing customers the most up-to-date information about vaccine availability (2) attracting and training enough staff to administer the vaccine and (3) keeping your employees informed so they provide your customers the best possible service.
Knowing that customers will continue to turn to retail health clinics for disease prevention presents an opportunity for locations to expand their patient base; however, these locations must prepare accordingly.
Communicate Vaccine Availability
In the shadow of the pandemic, the country is already experiencing an increased demand for flu shots leading to temporary supply shortages. By using digital signage to condition customer and staff behavior during the current flu vaccine shortages, you stay a step ahead of the needs for when the COVID 19 vaccine arrives.
Retail health clinics who excel at vaccine logistics management do so by broadcasting the number of available appointments each day, encouraging patients to schedule appointments and managing the flow of customers to maintain social distance. In-venue screens use custom QR codes to book those appointments by bringing customers into retail apps (and by default the care+commerce ecosystem). App downloads allow for even more communication opportunities that mirror the in store experience: your clinic’s after-hour times, vaccine availability and calls to action so shoppers take advantage of offers. All of these communication tools help further underline the value add of your retail experience.
Attract Additional Staff
NPR’s Marketplace reports the industry will require another 15,000 pharmacy workers to help with COVID testing and the distribution of a flu vaccine, as well as potential COVID vaccines, moving into the winter months.
Place your retail health clinic ahead of the curve with smart vaccine logistics management. Start the process of hiring more technicians now by using in-store digital signage to communicate job opportunities. Vaccine technicians do not require a formal degree, so many current customers may be eligible to apply. Custom QR codes allow interested customers to apply for a position directly from their phone; creating much needed job opportunities for the community in a depressed economic environment . A larger applicant pool provides your clinic with more opportunities to select qualified candidates, ensuring the best patient experience.
Keep Employees Informed
Technicians need clear, up-to-date information for your retail health clinic to operate productively; digital signage optimizes your employee communication. Broadcast required training for all employees, and allow them to sign up for any session directly from their phone with a custom QR code. Keep all employees in the loop on new vaccine developments and safety procedures so that they operate with best practices at all times.
Vaccine availability may fluctuate from day-to-day. Leverage displays to show the number of vaccines in-stock at your location and distribution counts each day, Ensure that risk and disease spread stays at a minimum by displaying cleaning procedures and safety protocols. Display shift availability on-screen, allowing workers who feel unwell to easily trade shifts with healthy employees, and for recovered employees to make up for lost shifts by picking up more when they are well.
With digital signage retail health clinics will communicate and handle this upcoming need better than most traditional care providers by offering a wider variety of hours, allow for walk-in appointments and provide a convenient opportunity to consolidate shopping. Make sure to prepare your clinics with the tools they need to provide a satisfactory experience and drive revenue.
