Creation and Translation of IMPACT (Illinois Medical Professional Action Collaborative Team) to Amplify and Address Disparities in COVID‐19: The Case of Vaccine Delivery
Authors: Wallia Amisha , Khan Ali , Zimmerman Laura , Desai Amish , Blankemeier Julie , Bloomgarden Eve , Mordell Lisa , Kenefake Alex , Jain Shikha , Arora Vineet 
Published: September 2021

Research Objective

During the COVID‐19 pandemic, novel infrastructure is needed to 1) assess disparities in care delivery 2) address these needs through rapid dissemination of rapidly‐evolving, evidenced‐based information 3) connecting people to resources and 4) advocating for policy change.

Study Design

An interdisciplinary coalition of health care professionals on social media created the organization IMPACT. IMPACT (www.impact4hc.com) leverages social media and novel non‐profit/for‐profit partnerships to 1) identify and amplify public health needs and disparities in care delivery 2) address needs and gaps by rapidly disseminating evidence‐based information, 3) connecting groups to resources, and 4) advocating for science‐based policy. IMPACT and Oak Street Health (OSH) [a value based primary care system for low income seniors and medicare enrollees] identified a critical gap in Phase 1a vaccinations in Illinois: limited access to COVID‐19 vaccination for health care workers not affiliated with health systems. IMPACT worked with OSH to 1) identify the gap 2) leverage the partnership to vaccinate 3) amplify the messaging to disseminate resources for vaccine sign ups and 4) approach city leadership for policy change.

Population Studied

A case study of healthcare workers in Illinois awaiting vaccination in 01/2021.

Principal Findings

Disparities in vaccination needs were rapidly identified through multiple sources (twitter, Chicago facebook groups for healthcare workers, emails and messages to IMPACT) for health care workers (HCWs1a) not affiliated with health systems. An IMPACT clearinghouse for vaccine information (registration, interest surveys) was created procuring information rapidly through social media and professional networks. Given high levels of interest (1342 views/10 days, avg 127/daily), IMPACT‐OSH partnered to highlight need (twitter, facebook, policy statement), while OSH created a vaccination clinic with web‐based vaccine registration for non‐system affiliated HCWs. Targeted posts on facebook (2 closed HCW groups [2.2 K members/each], 1 closed general group [15.1 K]) were used to disseminate clearinghouse and OSH vaccine clinic information. Facebook posts alone reached 1650 HCWs, general member group posts reached >3.2 K in 7 days. In the first 7 days of the campaign, 5800 HCWs signed up for the OSH vaccine clinic, with >1800 vaccinated. In the first 48 hours of the social media campaign (over weekend) approx. 2000 HCWs signed up. Of a subgroup of OSH vaccinated HCWs (N = 1500), 50% reported receiving information through social media or web‐based link. In response to these concerns, the local health departments encouraged all health care entities to vaccinate non‐system affiliated HCWs, and the work was highlighted in the mayor's weekly press conference.

Conclusions

By leveraging novel methods of communication and dissemination (social media, partnerships), IMPACT and Oak Street Health were able to assess and address the gap in care delivery of vaccinations to HCWs in a rapid time frame.

Implications for Policy or Practice

Novel partnerships and utilization of social media made it possible to identify and then rapidly address a critical gap in HCW vaccination in the short term while laying groundwork for longer‐term policy solutions. These findings have future implications for further vaccine rollout.