Patients are more likely to get flu shot...

Although still in the summer season, fall is right around the corner. And that means it's time to prepare for flu season. The waiting room is the perfect place to educate patients on the flu shot, how to get it, and when to ask for it. 

Flu vaccines cause antibodies to develop in the body about two weeks after vaccination. These antibodies provide protection against infection with the viruses that are in the vaccine. The seasonal flu vaccine protects against the influenza viruses that research indicates will be most common during the upcoming season.

An annual seasonal flu vaccine is the best way to reduce your risk of getting sick with seasonal flu and spreading it to others. In fact, the CDC recommends that everyone over the age of 6-months get a flu shot. When more people get vaccinated against the flu, less flu can spread through that community. .

When patients see these messages in the waiting room, they're much more likely to ask their provider about a flu shot. 

INSIGHTS SERIES: May, 2018

Depression affects people of all genders and ages, and presents with decreased energy, changes in appetite and sleep, feelings of guilt, loss of interest and impairment of concentration. Because of the stigma surrounding mental illness including depression, many people are reluctant to converse about this taboo topic even with their physicians, who are viewed as the safe keepers of secrets associated with medical and mental health.

 

With depression rates increasing, the United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) has made strong recommendations for physicians to actively screen patients for depression at regular visits — incorporating depression screening as part of a regular annual checkup.

 

Did You Know? Depression in the United States Affects over 18 million adults (one in ten) in any given year.

 

Click on the video spot below to watch a customized WAM Network PSA regarding the importance of depression awareness and talking with your doctor.

The waiting room can be a tool to help trigger conversations when patients visit their physician.

Themed updates for waiting rooms (part 2)

Creating a theme helps the waiting room deliver a consistent and engaging message. Earlier this year, we were asked to focus on diabetes and pre-diabetes on a client's private network. Here you can see how we leveraged content from our partners at CBS nightly news, the American Diabetes Association, and our internal animators to drive home the message. Whether it's a focus on HEDIS measures, internal offers, or general health, our themed programmatic approach is completely customizable to your waiting room and medical group. 

Opioid Abuse

 

Opioid abuse is a serious problem. Possibly one out of four people prescribed Opioids struggle with addiction. We have as series coming on understanding the basics of Opioids and proper use. This video is being played in medical waiting rooms around the country, and helping alleviate the stigma of opioid abuse. 

Palliative Care

We get asked for videos on difficult topics. Palliative Care, Hospice Care, and other tough conversations. Animation makes it easier for patients and caregivers to start to process the information. The waiting room, website, or patient app, is an opportunity to deliver messages that will help engage patients to open up about these topics. Here is an interesting one on Palliative Care.