As another COVID-19 vaccine becomes available in the U.S., high volumes of questions and concerns surrounding the virus itself and all associated vaccines are flooding healthcare organizations and pharmaceutical companies.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Orbita has supported pharmaceutical companies with digital tools to improve their connection and connectivity to healthcare providers (HCPs) and patients by enhancing specific touchpoints in the care journey.
The digitalization and/or automation of question-answering, medication reminders, call center deflection, and adverse event detection significantly reduces administrative burden and improves the patient and HCP experience.
As the opportunity for widespread vaccination draws closer, 40% of the U.S. population has expressed hesitation around receiving a COVID-19 vaccine.
Patient apprehension is amplified by misinformation and the magnification of certain events surrounding the virus and related vaccine administration. For example, in very rare cases, some vaccine recipients have exhibited allergic reactions, which further fuels mistrust of the vaccines themselves.
Another major factor in vaccine hesitancy is misunderstanding or a lack of knowledge surrounding how the vaccines work and what they are comprised of. This is especially common because the available COVID-19 vaccines are 'mRNA vaccines' - a new type of immunization that teaches our cells how to make a protein, or even just a piece of a protein, that triggers an immune response inside our bodies.
Orbita has expanded its pharma solutions to support the rollout and distribution of the vaccines. Pharma companies can add or augment a chatbot on their product website with the new COVID-19 vaccine access clinical program from Orbita. This solution supports the shift to a post-COVID world with tools that educate, screen, and encourage patients to get vaccinated.
COVID-19 Vaccine Access Clinical Program, powered by Orbita
- EDUCATE PATIENTS
There will be a range of questions from both HCPs and patients that require a robust knowledge base of vaccine information. As misinformation and disinformation fuel mistrust, it is essential for HCPs and patients to have access to a vetted, up to date collection of information. For example, if HCPs want to know about the possibility of the vaccine negatively interacting with other medications, Orbita can curate a knowledge base of known drug interactions.
With Orbita's natural language processing technologies, responses from the chatbot are personalized based on collected patient context. This is invaluable to HCPs looking to ask specific questions about their patients and receiving the information on-demand. The accessible nature of this functionality also enables patients to self-serve and access the information they need across their preferred channel of communication.
Looking beyond the initial vaccine rollout period, questions surrounding COVID-19 are likely to surface on a regular basis. This knowledge base could continue supporting patients with answers to questions such as "Do I still need to wear a mask?" and "When will my body have immunity?" - VACCINE ELIGIBILITY SCREENING
As patients inquire about the vaccine, many will wonder if and when they are eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine. Orbita's COVID-19 vaccine access clinical program integrates a vaccine eligibility screener into the chatbot to evaluate a patient based on FDA qualifications. Once through the vaccine eligibility screening, the chatbot directs patients to location and scheduling services - or if not currently eligible, can add them to a list to receive automated vaccine updates. - PROACTIVE CONVERSATIONAL CAMPAIGNS
Outgoing messages are an incredibly powerful tool in patient engagement. Orbita's solutions provides pharma companies with the ability to create outbound conversational campaigns that nudge patients towards recommended behaviors, including scheduling vaccine appointments. These messages, powered by conversational AI, can be personalized based on patient context, profiles, and preferences - and delivered via SMS, phone, email, and smart speaker. - CONTINUOUS PATIENT ENGAGEMENT
This is the key to a holistic care journey, and outbound messages can keep patients engaged, especially with the vaccine rollout to come back for their second dose of the vaccine. An interactive message reminds and urges patients to schedule their second vaccination appointment. - POST-VACCINATION MONITORING
As more and more people receive the COVID-19 vaccine, the scope of post-vaccination monitoring will significantly grow and with that the reporting of adverse events (AEs) will become increasingly challenging.
Incorporated in Orbita's COVID-19 vaccine access clinical program for pharma is the recently-launched Adverse Event Detection module which automates detection and escalation of AEs. As patients use this virtual assistant to learn about the vaccine and other medications and treatments, the virtual assistant automatically detects adverse events within patient dialogue. 24/7, on-demand access gives HCPs and patients that are (intentionally or not) reporting adverse events, autonomy with this streamlined process.
