Florida SHOTS™: Keeping SHOTS in Check

Florida SHOTS is growing and expanding in reach, services, and capabilities. Over the past year, Florida SHOTS has introduced a blog, H1N1 vaccination ordering, and much more. As the year begins, we would like to share all the ways we are committed to helping you maximize Florida SHOTS’ shot-tracking tools. Whether you need in-depth training or some quick tips, we’ve got a variety of helpful resources to assist you, including 24/7 web-based training and user guides and an online blog and forum for Florida SHOTS users. As always, all tools, web-based training, and help desk support are free.

Web-Based Training:
Florida SHOTS web-based training is always available by logging into your account and selecting it from the Customer Service menu. Our training modules give you step-by-step instructions and screen shots on everything from data entry to reminder recall to assessing immunization levels in your practice.

User Guide:
Everything you ever want to know about Florida SHOTS can be found in the Florida SHOTS User Guide. Available online, think of this as the encyclopedia of Florida SHOTS. The User Guide can be accessed through the Customer Service menu once you have logged into your account. Whenever the Florida SHOTS system is updated or the functionality expanded, the User Guide is updated to cover the changes.

Quick Tips Guide:
Available in both English and Spanish, the Florida SHOTS Quick Tips guide is a handy reference for how to’s. Topics include logging in, forgotten password, the main menu, entering vaccinations in the registry, 680s, and adding and deleting personnel. This guide is always available as a pdf at www.flshots.com on the training page.

Blog:
The Florida SHOTS blog is an up-to date resource for useful information about the registry. Topics cover current news about benefits, blue cards, data upload, inactive accounts, updates, and training.

Forum:
Get advice from other Florida SHOTS users on the Florida SHOTS forum. Chat about summary reports, electronically certifying 680s, incorporating Florida SHOTS into your daily routine and anything else on your mind. Register (for free, of course) at www.flshotusers.com/forum and start talking today.

Live Help Desk:
A Florida SHOTS representative is available Monday through Friday from 8:00 a.m. – 5:00 p.m. Eastern to help you with any Florida SHOTS questions or concerns. (877) 888-SHOT (7468)

Pharmacies wishing to provide adult influenza vaccinations to their customers are required by Section 465.189, Florida Statutes to enter those shot records into Florida SHOTS™, the statewide online immunization registry. Florida SHOTS data upload significantly reduces record-keeping time for pharmacists and is the easiest way for them to comply with the statutory reporting requirements.

• Florida SHOTS data upload technology offers a simple batching linkage from your existing billing, practice management, or EMR software to the statewide immunization registry.
• It allows pharmacists to automatically upload shot records, avoiding manual data entry and saving hours of time.
• Florida SHOTS has successfully implemented data upload linkages with multiple medical software companies, managed care organizations, health systems, and private physicians practices for the past two years.
• We have the expertise to create a data upload linkage with your corporation’s software so that you can easily comply with the reporting requirements of your adult influenza vaccination program.

Children need vaccinations to stay healthy. Vaccinations protect a child now and in the future by preventing diseases that can sometimes kill or permanently injure.

Infants are more likely to suffer complications, or even death, if they contract a vaccine-preventable disease. For example, measles is the number one vaccine-preventable disease that kills infants worldwide.

Florida SHOTS is a tool that can be used to increase immunization levels thereby helping the entire community because increased immunization levels offer better protection for all children. The registry does this by identifying under-immunized children.

Florida SHOTS helps parents by:

• Consolidating all immunization records for any vaccinations that a child has received from multiple health-care providers
• Providing an accurate, official copy of a child’s immunization history for personal, day care, school, or camp entry requirements
• Maintaining a system-certified electronic 680 (once created by a participating health-care provider) which is accessible directly to schools, licensed child-care centers and other medical providers that are Florida SHOTS users
• Helping ensure that a child’s immunizations are up to date
• Providing reminders or recalls when an immunization is due or has been missed
• Helping ensure timely immunization for children whose families move or switch health-care providers
• Preventing unnecessary duplicative immunization
• Allowing emergency room access to a patient’s immunization status

The growing complexity of the immunization schedule makes it difficult for health-care providers and parents to keep track of which vaccines are due and when.

Busy practices have found that Florida SHOTS can assist them in the challenges of assessing ever-changing and complex immunization requirements and schedules involving different vaccine manufacturers and combination vaccines.

Florida SHOTS was designed with functionality that provides the following benefits to providers.

• Immunization records from all providers are consolidated into one record per patient.
• Immunization information is accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
• The registry provides a reliable immunization history for any child, whether a new or continuing patient.
• It identifies patients’ previously reported contraindications.
• The registry provides definitive information, reminders and recalls on immunizations that are due or overdue.
• The registry produces the legal immunization record (DH Form 680) required for school, camp, and day care center attendance.
• It allows providers to create a system-certified electronic 680, which is kept in Florida SHOTS where it is accessible directly to schools, licensed child-care centers and other medical providers that are Florida SHOTS users.
• It generates immunization reports for managed-care organizations.
• The registry reduces paperwork by automating inventory, reporting, recall and reminder functions.
• It provides current recommendations and information on new vaccines.
• The registry facilitates introduction of new vaccines or changes in the vaccine schedule.