Close
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
Read Down
Sign in
Close
Welcome!Log into your account
Forgot your password?
Read Down
Password recovery
Recover your password
Close
Search
Logo
Logo
  • Latest News
  • Big Data and Analytics
  • Cloud
  • Networking
  • Cybersecurity
  • Applications
  • IT Management
  • Storage
  • Sponsored
  • Mobile
  • Small Business
  • Development
  • Database
  • Servers
  • Android
  • Apple
  • Innovation
  • Blogs
  • PC Hardware
  • Reviews
  • Search Engines
  • Virtualization
More
    Home Applications
    • Applications
    • Cloud
    • IT Management
    • Networking

    How Contact Centers Aid in COVID-19 Vaccine Rollouts

    By
    Zeus Kerravala
    -
    December 22, 2020
    Share
    Facebook
    Twitter
    Linkedin
      pexels-photo-5453808

      The journey from the start of the COVID-19 pandemic to the discovery of the vaccine has certainly been a strange and winding road. As a society we’ve gone through many ups and downs; now there is light at the end of the tunnel, yet there are still some hills to climb. With COVID-19 vaccination broadly rolling out in 2021, health-care providers must prepare on a massive scale to provide people with the information and services they need.

      Cloud-based contact centers can help manage vaccine distribution and related inquiries across multiple digital channels, including mobile, web and email.

      The vaccine brings hope but also plenty of questions

      It’s inevitable that the vaccine will spark many questions and concerns from the general public. People will want to know how to get the vaccine, what the options are, how long it takes and other information. This poses quite the challenge for the health-care industry because practitioners need to not only treat people but ensure that all these questions are answered in a timely manner. Cloud-based contact centers can be set up quickly by health-care providers to handle the influx of inquiries that are expected during vaccine rollout. Providers can also track effectiveness and possible side effects to successfully distribute a vaccine to the masses.

      Cloud-based contact centers are ideally suited for omni-channel communications

      One benefit of such call centers is their ability to detect from which digital channels the inquiries are coming. For example, if someone is calling from a mobile device, an agent can redirect the caller to the mobile web or an app where they can complete a pre-screening form. The agent can also send the caller to a nearby vaccine site based on the device’s location.

      Providers can implement a variety of digital tools, such as artificial intelligence (AI)-driven chatbots, voice, messaging, email management and notifications to handle incoming inquiries and inform the public. Alternatively, people can choose a self-service option to fill out forms or schedule vaccinations, freeing up call center agents to handle more urgent or complex inquiries.

      Genesys chatbot automates empathy and information flow

      Cloud-based contact center vendor Genesys just launched a COVID-19 Vaccine Rapid Response solution that leverages “empathy-first” chatbots, which engage with people in a sensitive manner. The chatbots can respond to inquiries about vaccine safety and provide in-stock information at specific pharmacy locations to limit foot traffic. They can also redirect a person to a contact center via voice or other digital channels.

      The digital-first solution is designed for organizations participating in Operation Warp Speed, a public-private partnership that facilitates the development, manufacturing and dispensing COVID-19 vaccines. With several new vaccines on the market, vaccinating two-thirds of the global population to stop the spread of the virus will be difficult without trusted sources of information and support on which the public can rely.

      Avaya introduces digital toolkit for health-care providers and governments

      To help organizations address some of the communication challenges of vaccine distribution—including reaching priority populations and collecting key data—Avaya introduced a suite of digital solutions specifically for health-care providers and government agencies. The solutions, which are part of Avaya OneCloud communications platform as a service (CPaaS), can be applied on top of any existing infrastructure.

      Using OneCloud, health-care providers and the government can proactively reach the public through automated calls and text notifications. While the purpose of these notifications is to generate vaccine awareness and get people to sign up, they can also be used for contactless screening and post-vaccine surveys. The cloud-based communications platform can be deployed in the health system’s contact centers as well. So, inquiries can be prioritized based on urgency without overwhelming agents, who can send callers online for self-service.

      Since Avaya OneCloud is Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA)-compliant, it protects any personal health data that is shared on the communications platform. OneCloud utilizes biometrics to authenticate devices and user identities without them having to repeat the same information when calling a contact center.

      Differences in the two solutions

      While both solutions are similar in that they help disseminate vaccine information, the Avaya offering is much broader. Genesys offers an automated chatbot, which is great for first contact and can be used to triage calls being escalated to a live person. Avaya’s can be considered a complete COVID-19 solution. The combination of Avaya OneCloud CPaaS and Google contact center AI can provide an end-to-end vaccine administration solution that includes citizen awareness, practitioner resource recruitment, first shot check-in and notification, post-shot notification and second-shot reminder. Avaya provides the building blocks for each customer to tailor the solution to their needs.

      The expression “knowledge is power” has never been truer than in these times of uncertainty. Undeniably, contact centers will play a key role in triaging inquiries about the new vaccine. The tools are there to help organizations reach the public across every digital channel. Whether organizations successfully utilize these tools in the coming year remains to be seen.

      Photo by Tima Miroshnichenko, Pexels

      Zeus Kerravala is an eWEEK regular contributor and the founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. He spent 10 years at Yankee Group and prior to that held a number of corporate IT positions.  

      Zeus Kerravala
      https://zkresearch.com/
      Zeus Kerravala is an eWEEK regular contributor and the founder and principal analyst with ZK Research. He spent 10 years at Yankee Group and prior to that held a number of corporate IT positions. Kerravala is considered one of the top 10 IT analysts in the world by Apollo Research, which evaluated 3,960 technology analysts and their individual press coverage metrics.

      MOST POPULAR ARTICLES

      Big Data and Analytics

      Alteryx’s Suresh Vittal on the Democratization of...

      James Maguire - May 31, 2022 0
      I spoke with Suresh Vittal, Chief Product Officer at Alteryx, about the industry mega-shift toward making data analytics tools accessible to a company’s complete...
      Read more
      Cybersecurity

      Visa’s Michael Jabbara on Cybersecurity and Digital...

      James Maguire - May 17, 2022 0
      I spoke with Michael Jabbara, VP and Global Head of Fraud Services at Visa, about the cybersecurity technology used to ensure the safe transfer...
      Read more
      Applications

      Cisco’s Thimaya Subaiya on Customer Experience in...

      James Maguire - May 10, 2022 0
      I spoke with Thimaya Subaiya, SVP and GM of Global Customer Experience at Cisco, about the factors that create good customer experience – and...
      Read more
      Cloud

      IGEL CEO Jed Ayres on Edge and...

      James Maguire - June 14, 2022 0
      I spoke with Jed Ayres, CEO of IGEL, about the endpoint sector, and an open source OS for the cloud; we also spoke about...
      Read more
      Big Data and Analytics

      GoodData CEO Roman Stanek on Business Intelligence...

      James Maguire - May 4, 2022 0
      I spoke with Roman Stanek, CEO of GoodData, about business intelligence, data as a service, and the frustration that many executives have with data...
      Read more
      Logo

      eWeek has the latest technology news and analysis, buying guides, and product reviews for IT professionals and technology buyers. The site’s focus is on innovative solutions and covering in-depth technical content. eWeek stays on the cutting edge of technology news and IT trends through interviews and expert analysis. Gain insight from top innovators and thought leaders in the fields of IT, business, enterprise software, startups, and more.

      Facebook
      Linkedin
      RSS
      Twitter
      Youtube

      Advertisers

      Advertise with TechnologyAdvice on eWeek and our other IT-focused platforms.

      Advertise with Us

      Menu

      • About eWeek
      • Subscribe to our Newsletter
      • Latest News

      Our Brands

      • Privacy Policy
      • Terms
      • About
      • Contact
      • Advertise
      • Sitemap
      • California – Do Not Sell My Information

      Property of TechnologyAdvice.
      © 2022 TechnologyAdvice. All Rights Reserved

      Advertiser Disclosure: Some of the products that appear on this site are from companies from which TechnologyAdvice receives compensation. This compensation may impact how and where products appear on this site including, for example, the order in which they appear. TechnologyAdvice does not include all companies or all types of products available in the marketplace.

      ×