Customer engagement messaging platform, OneSignal has released a survey revealing the critical role messaging tools such as push notifications, SMS, and email played in getting the general public vaccinated during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Of the 1,000 US-based adults surveyed who scheduled a COVID-19 vaccination appointment, 65 per cent of people successfully booked theirs thanks to prompts from messaging tools and alerts from their chosen healthcare resource.

Other key findings revealed 74 per cent of people opted-in/signed up to receive alerts for vaccine eligibility and/or availibility and 67 per cent found alerts and messaging like mobile or web push notifications, text messaging, or email helpful in reminding them to get vaccinated or helping them to locate vaccine appointments.

54 per cent preferred text message alerts for future updates about COVID-19, vaccines, and other related information.

For healthcare organisations and government entities, this survey underscored the significant role messaging, and alert systems can play during a public health crisis when timely and essential general information needs to be dispersed on a mass scale.

“The results of this study demonstrate the important role messaging technology, such as push notifications, text messages, and email, can play in keeping the public safe during global crises, as well as the public’s receptiveness to leveraging digital tools to stay informed,” said CEO of OneSignal, George Deglin. “It’s clear that private healthcare companies, government agencies, and other emergency organisations that develop applications in response to emergency situations need to quickly reach a large number of people across geographical regions to keep them informed. Messaging tools and digital-first alert systems have proven to be an effective and trusted method for these organisations to broaden their reach in an impactful way.”