Q&A: Encouraging vaccine compliance

Q: What role should case managers play in terms of encouraging patients to receive the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine? What are some steps to take in this process?

A: Case managers may play an important role when it comes to building trust in the vaccine and encouraging patients to get immunized, says Marie Stinebuck, MBA, MSN, RN, ACM, a Phoenix-area case manager. Modern case management should encompass the entire spectrum of care, says Stinebuck. This means guiding care both during hospitalization and following discharge.

It’s well within a case manager’s role to speak with patients about the importance of the vaccine and to help them schedule an appointment to get it. Because the relationship between patients and case managers is built on trust, their encouragement may help sway those who are on the fence.

“Care managers should absolutely be encouraging patients to get the COVID-19 vaccine and answering questions about why they should be getting it,” says Tiffany Ferguson, LMSW, ACM, co-owner of Phoenix Medical Management.

Vaccine compliance should be viewed as a component of value-based care and readmission prevention. If your organization has a post-discharge follow-up program, encouraging vaccination should also be part of that effort.

For more on this topic, see the February issue of Case Management Monthly.