Phreesia Partners with CONVINCE USA on Vaccine Hesitancy Initiative

Phreesia, the nation’s leading patient intake platform, is pleased to announce it has partnered with the CONVINCE USA initiative at the CUNY Graduate School of Public Health & Health Policy (CUNY SPH) to create a patient survey and data-driven education tool to better understand and address patients’ COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy. To date, more than 300,000 survey responses have been collected across Phreesia’s nationwide network, providing valuable insights that can enable targeted interventions to engage and inform more hesitant groups and shed light on the relationship between access and hesitancy.

For example, while 78% of respondents 65 and older reported that they were likely to get the vaccine, less than half of essential workers said they were likely to be vaccinated, according to initial survey data. Additionally, a significant number of respondents who expressed hesitancy were more likely to get the vaccine if it were recommended by their doctor or nurse.

The COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy survey has been implemented by leading health systems and federally qualified health centers, including Ascension, a faith-based national health system that serves 19 states, and HealthLinc, an FQHC with clinics across Northern Indiana.

CONVINCE USA is part of a global partnership with the Vaccine Confidence Project of the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine and Wilton Park. CONVINCE USA has received funds from CDC Foundation and The Commonwealth Fund to study trust and other factors that influence people’s willingness to accept new COVID-19 vaccines, and to promote inclusive public dialogue to reduce vaccine hesitancy.

“We’re excited to have the opportunity to collaborate with Phreesia on an initiative that will help healthcare organizations listen and respond to people’s questions about the COVID-19 vaccines at an unprecedented scale,” says Scott Ratzan MD, Distinguished Lecturer at CUNY SPH and Executive Director of CONVINCE USA. “Trust is critical to a long-term sustainable model of vaccination, and we are pleased to lend our academic and consulting expertise to help deliver evidence-based insights to Phreesia’s clients that will foster that community trust.”

The survey asks patients a series of questions during intake to assess their level and source of hesitancy, as well as to determine whether they are part of a group prioritized to receive the vaccine, such as those older than 65 and essential workers. Patients are also asked about challenges they face in accessing the vaccine. They then may be prompted to sign up for a waitlist or schedule an appointment to get the vaccine.

The survey also equips providers with patient responses so that they can address hesitancy in real time during the patient visit and understand hesitancy and barriers to access at a community level. Data from the survey tool—along with best practices from the field—will be used to develop tailored education that will be delivered to patients based on their specific vaccine concerns.

The hesitancy survey is one component of Phreesia’s Vaccine Management Solution, an end-to-end set of tools that enables providers to communicate with patients, manage vaccine waitlists, automate patient intake for vaccine visits and maximize uptake by delivering personalized messaging based on the vaccine hesitancy survey results.

“While we are supporting the rapid digital enablement of vaccination sites across the country, we are simultaneously focused on hesitancy—especially increasing access and uptake in communities hardest hit by the virus,” said Hilary Hatch, PhD, Phreesia’s VP of Clinical Engagement. “The data we collect—guided by the deep subject matter expertise of CONVINCE USA—gives providers and policymakers actionable insights to address hesitancy and access on the patient, community and national level.”

The survey asks patients their top reasons for getting a COVID-19 vaccine, as well as their top concerns. Available answers for patient concerns include vaccine safety, how quickly the COVID-19 vaccines were developed, and general mistrust of vaccines and the healthcare system—an issue in communities of color that have been affected most by the pandemic. The survey is adaptive and updated based on best practices and knowledge from the field.

“Data-driven solutions will be key as we work to resolve the issue of vaccine hesitancy,” said Joseph Cacchione, MD, Executive Vice President of Clinical & Network Services for Ascension, which launched its hesitancy survey in mid-January. “With the information collected by Phreesia, we’re better positioned to meet people where they are and deliver educational content on their own mobile devices, rather than wait for them to come to us.”

About Phreesia

Phreesia gives healthcare organizations a suite of robust applications to manage the patient intake process. Our innovative SaaS platform engages patients in their healthcare and provides a safe, convenient experience, while enabling our clients to enhance clinical care and drive efficiency.

About CUNY SPH

The CUNY Graduate School of Public Health and Health Policy (CUNY SPH) is committed to teaching, research, and service that creates a healthier New York City and helps promote equitable, efficient, and evidence-based solutions to pressing health problems facing cities around the world. Located in Harlem, CUNY SPH is the top-ranked public school of public health in New York City, New York State, and the tristate region.

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