Seniors Roll Up Sleeves For 'Drive-Through' Flu Shots
To prepare mobility-impaired seniors for the flu season, St. Joseph Healthcare in Albuquerque, N.M., reached out by getting seniors to "drive-through" for their annual flu shots. The convenience perk that works so well in the fast food industry was a hit for St. Joseph's, whose nurses gave more than 1,200 immunizations from 8:30 p.m. to 1:00 p.m. on Oct. 14. It can also be easily duplicated at other hospitals, says Janet Blair, the hospital's PR director.
St. Joseph's is believed to be the first in the market to offer seniors this "drive-up" benefit which supports the hospital's new senior-branding initiatives, according to Blair. "Our seniors loved this service and many told us they wouldn't have been able to get a flu shot if we hadn't done it this way."
Several hospitals have called Blair for tips on how to launch similar programs in their markets. Her advice?
- Have a big enough entry area so cars can line up safely; and
- Be VERY sure that cars are put in "park" before the driver gets a shot.
(St. Joseph Healthcare, Janet Blair, 727/432-2321)
Physician-Patient Email Guidelines Needed
Physician groups and healthcare communicators are grappling with how to effectively and safely communicate with their patients via email, according to the Oct. 19 issue of The Journal of the American Medical Association.
The American Medical Informatics Association is the only organization to currently produce email communications guidelines but they only refer to "an established patient-physician relationship," not other situations like unsolicited email queries.
Until physicians agree on a uniform approach, the report suggests that medical Web sites:
- post a disclaimer "indicating that unsolicited patient email may not be answered and is not a substitute for obtaining medical advice in person from a health professional; and
- review legal precautions involving physician-patient email communications, including confidentiality, informed consent, medical record keeping, practice standards and medical licensing.
(Journal of the American Medical Association, 312/464-5374)
'Spontaneous Abortion' Terminology Distressing
For women who have suffered miscarriages and their families, the medical phrase "spontaneous abortion" rubs them the wrong way, according to two British experts who are calling for healthcare providers to avoid using the highly technical terminology.
The term, spontaneous abortion, is often misinterpreted by patients and their families and adds to their distress while dealing with the medical misfortune, writes Dr. David Hutchon of Memorial Hospital in Darlington, UK and Dr. Sandra Cooper of Clayton Hospital in Wakefield, UK. Their article is published in the Oct. 17 issue of the British Medical Journal.
Hutchon and Cooper urge medical journal editors to avoid using the terminology and for nurses, doctors and other healthcare professionals to use the word "miscarriage" when speaking to patients and completing medical notes.
Agency News
Medical education offerings are where hot expansion opportunities are for two Omnicom Group agencies:
- Recently, Harrison Wilson & Associates (HW&A) launched e-CME, an interactive division dedicated to distance learning and other online communications targeting physicians. HW&A is based in Parsippany, N.J.
- And the Health and Medical Communications Group in Ridgewood, N.J., launched Innovative Medical Education (IME), which will develop several physician-targeted educational programs and projects.
(HW&A, Ron Wilson, 973/402-5100; HMC Group, Jani Hagerty, 201/493-1333)