Help patients remember to get their flu shot

If your flu vaccination rates are not meeting expectations, it may be because some patients who would otherwise get flu shots have simply forgotten or don't know that you have flu vaccine available. Reminders sent using portal messages, email, phone, or postcards may help. Text message reminders are increasingly popular because they reach a large population quickly and inexpensively. A recent study found that an additional immunization resulted from every 29 text messages sent — a good result for a low-cost intervention.

Read more in these FPM articles: “Use Text Messages to Boost Flu Shots” (Practice Pearl) and “Back to Basics: Five Steps to Better Influenza Vaccination Rates.”