This article was written by Paul O’Hara.

The COVID-19 pandemic is still looming over the lives of millions of people worldwide, prompting new healthcare services to be created. In fact, in a recent article by Marcel Vrieling, Chief Business Development Officer for Teleperformance CEMEA, he mentions that Teleperformance has responded to the public sector’s urgent requests in 14 countries by fully implementing helplines and back-office service operations within a few hours to several days, depending on requirements. But that’s only the tip of the iceberg regarding the COVID-19 services that the public sector needs.

Due to the continuous threat of COVID-19 on everyone’s health, governments worldwide are currently collaborating to accelerate the virus’s successful elimination. It is reported that a COVID-19 vaccine could be ready by the end of 2020. 

With news of a potential vaccine, governments must soon make vital decisions regarding information, access, and deployment to support citizens, compressing several years of planning into mere months. It is also imperative to analyze how the vaccine’s arrival and future deployment could affect the citizens and healthcare system already in place, including policies, security, regulations, and healthcare providers.  

Addressing the Pain Points

Vaccination deployment on a global scale is extremely critical and complex as there are roadblocks, opportunities, and threats to anticipate. To be fully prepared for the COVID-19 vaccine, governments and leaders must identify a vaccination program’s possible pain points: 

• Lack of deployment preparedness: A potential vaccination rollout requires coordination between governments, health agencies, health providers, pharmaceuticals, and distributors. 
• Response strategies: Reduce threats and bottlenecks with strategic options for possible deployment. 
• Communication spikes across the world: The capability to handle the sudden and massive touchpoints with citizens globally is crucial.
• Healthcare system capabilities: Available facilities, the security of vaccines during shipment, border processes, and the capacity of healthcare providers must be considered and assessed ahead of time.
• Human touch: Governments and healthcare providers must safeguard the human connection when interacting with patients, as anxieties increase during a crisis.

Time is of the essence in developing a crisis response.

At Teleperformance, we recognize that speed and efficiency are of the utmost importance in this crisis to save lives. Teleperformance’s high-tech, high-touch approach to emergency actions and expertise in handling massive projects allow us to mitigate disruptions and manage the surge in public health demands:

• Provide an end-to-end view of the vaccination process, from product planning and development to shipment and vaccination administration, that enables governments to plan for public health measures.
• Deploy a multichannel cycle of interventions for each stage of the patient journey, ensuring human-to-human communication for patients and at-risk individuals.
• Utilize predictive analytics to assess and anticipate hot spots, pain points, and public sentiment to enable governments to make critical decisions in various stages of deployment.
• Ensure efficient information dissemination and citizen education regarding public health, regulations, and vaccination processes.
• Proactive communication for robust social monitoring and handling of sudden spikes in interactions from citizens.
• Provide and manage back-office services to address the surge in demand during crises.

Preparedness is critical for supporting citizens, and governments must act immediately to address the pressing need for an emergency response plan.

Click here to stay on top of the COVID-19 healthcare landscape and how Teleperformance supports public health and government efforts. You can also contact us to learn more about our agile, innovative, and human-centric crisis response solutions.

Photo by Who’s Denilo ? on Unsplash

About the author: Paul O’Hara is Senior Vice President, Business Development at Teleperformance, and joined the Group in 2007. With 20-years’ experience in the CX Management industry, Paul is passionate about helping organizations deliver a superior customer experience. Covering the EMEA region primarily Paul works with Senior Customer Service, Sales, Marketing, Insight, and Transformation Executives, who have overall responsibility for multiple territories and regions. He helps organizations address Customer Experience Management challenges within the complex European mosaic of markets, cultures and languages.