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Background: Shots by STFM immunization software, first introduced in 2001 for PDAs, became very popular among clinicians. It evolved over the last decade into a comprehensive immunization app for smart phones, tablets, and PCs. This educational tool and point-of-care reference is funded by a cooperative agreement from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Setting: The Society of Teachers of Family Medicine partnered with the University of Pittsburgh, Department of Family Medicine to develop the app and its comprehensive content. The possibility of losing CDC funding exists.
Population: The target audience for the app, Shots by STFM, is clinicians who administer vaccines, residents, and students in the fields of medicine, nursing, and pharmacy.
Project Description: Shots by STFM is a free immunization app containing the childhood and adult immunization schedules for the United States. Up-to-date information for each vaccine includes: basics, high risk indications, adverse reactions, contraindications, catch-up, administration, epidemiology, brand names, and additives. The goal of the project is to make the information in Shots by STFM easily accessible to all clinicians, thus increasing immunization rates. It can be downloaded directly to iPhone/iPod and Android devices or accessed via an internet connection on smartphones, tablets, and PCs. A CERA survey, Google Analytics, and focus groups are used to assess the quality, value, marketing strategies, and design needs for the app.
Results/Lessons Learned: Clinicians using the app give it high ratings, but marketing has been a challenge. Survey results show that many Family Medicine Residency Directors do not know about Shots by STFM. Social media fell short of our expectations, but a Google ad words campaign produced good results. Future directions will be determined following data analysis, research into market shares for smartphones and tablets, and consideration of the implications of losing CDC funding.