Stay up to date on immunizations with the Providence app

Friday, August 16, 2024

[3 MIN READ]

Getting vaccinated – including annual vaccines to protect against influenza (the flu) or scheduled shots like those that prevent shingles – can help stop the spread of infectious disease and serious illness.
Providence is making it easier to stay current on your immunizations with new notifications in the Providence app.
Learn how these digital tools can help you stay on top of your health year-round.

Regular vaccinations are an important part of preventing infectious diseases, boosting your immune system and keeping communities safe. However, with your busy schedule, finding time to get your annual flu shot – or to stay up to date on your other vaccines – can feel challenging. The Providence Digital Innovation Group (DIG) is working to make that part of your health journey a little easier with the Providence app. New this year, Providence is offering in-app immunization reminders, complete with information on where to go and how to schedule them.

“We want to make it easy to navigate and be able to self-serve so patients can have everything they need at their fingertips,” says Christina DiFerdinando, director of product operations for Providence’s Digital Innovation Group. “Our goal is to reduce frustration for our patients by making it easier to get what they need for their care when and how it is convenient for them.”

When you are due for an immunization, you’ll see a popup when you open the Providence app. That notification lets you know what shots you’re due for and what provider is recommending them. You can then click the popup to choose a location near you to get your vaccine. You can walk in or book an appointment for a time that is convenient for you.

Immunizations when they work for you

App users will get notifications when they are due for scheduled vaccines, such as HPV, shingles or pneumococcal shots, as well as annual shots like their flu vaccine. You may also get notifications for your:

Hepatitis vaccine
TDAP vaccine (protects against diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis)

The Providence app pulls information from your health history, including previous immunization records and health care provider inputs, to deliver personalized immunization recommendations. These recommendations will show up on the app when they are due.

“It’s important that patients get vaccinated against infectious diseases like the flu to avoid serious illness and hospital admissions,” says DiFerdinando. “Immunizations and other preventative care measures are an important part of the quality metrics Providence tracks to make sure we are keeping our communities safe from these contagious diseases.”

The app will also recommend locations to make it easy to find one near you to get any vaccines that are due. For the annual flu shot, it will let you know the hours and locations of the nearest pharmacies, grocery stores and other locations offering the vaccine. For other shots that are not available at these locations, you can get quickly connected to your caregiver to schedule an appointment.

Whether you receive your vaccinations at a Providence location or an outside facility, your immunization record will be automatically updated and reported back to your care team through MyChart, making this one less thing for patients to worry about.

“With these updates, it’s easy for patients to know what they need to do and how to do it,” says DiFerdinando.

An app experience for every step of your care

In addition to sharing updates on immunizations, the Providence app offers features to support you throughout your health care journey. These include:

24/7 access to health information
Access to the Grace smart assistant, which can help you refill prescriptions, schedule appointments and find other resources
Appointment scheduling and check-in
Personalized recommendations and self-serve content tailored to your health history
Provider search tools for doctors and specialists
Reminders for upcoming screenings and appointments

Contributing caregiver

Christina DiFerdinando is the director of product operations for Providence’s Digital Innovation Group.

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Download the Providence app

It’s all in the app: easily stay connected with Providence and your health. With the Providence app, you can schedule appointments, have virtual visits from the comfort of your own home, get health recommendations personalized for you, access your health records and so much more. Learn more and download the app.