FLUency FAQ

1. How does the Kinsa FLUency program work?

The FLUency program, connects parents & school staff on issues of student health, enabling quicker detection of spreading illness and rapid response to help keep students well and in class. In participating schools, all school families and staff can redeem free FDA-cleared Kinsa Smart thermometers, and join a private group on the Kinsa app to see anonymous and aggregated information on what symptoms are going around the school and their grade.

2. How can we participate in the program?

We are so thrilled you’d like to participate! The power of the Kinsa program gets exponentially greater the more families that use it. That’s why we strongly encourage entire districts to participate. Here are the ways to get the program:

1. Your school district provides the program to schools. Here’s an overview of how districts can use federal funds to secure the program for their school communities for years to come.
2. Submit interest for the 2021-2022 program here. If your district or school cannot afford the low cost program, you can indicate your interest in the free, sponsored program.
3. Email kinsa-fluency@kinsahealth.com for more information.

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3. How does Kinsa protect student privacy?

As a health company, privacy is paramount at Kinsa. Kinsa thermometers do not collect personally-identifiable information. All communication through the Kinsa app can be anonymous, and all health trends are aggregated. No details about a particular student are ever shared. Our mission is to help stop the spread of illness by understanding trends. All the information we share is aggregated.

4. Is Kinsa compliant with all applicable medical privacy regulations?

Yes! Additionally, for schools, as we do not have visibility into a student’s education records, the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) does not apply to Kinsa products.

5. Does this program create more work for already-overworked school administrators?

No! Our goal is to decrease the workload on school administrators by 1) arming families with thermometers so sick children are not sent in to school, 2) reducing unnecessary clinic visits as fewer parents send sick children to school, 3) helping administrators know what trends are going around their school so they can react appropriately and encourage preventive health measures to keep healthy students well.

6. Does the Kinsa app work in other languages?

The Kinsa app is currently available in English. For schools with high percentages of Spanish-speaking families, Kinsa is happy to provide explanatory marketing materials in Spanish, and much of the app uses icons to report symptoms, which is helpful for those who speak a different language at home.

7. Can my school get thermometers but not use the accompanying app?

The purpose of the FLUency program is to reduce the spread of illness in schools. While the thermometers are an important component of the program, the app is how parents and school staff know what’s going around their classrooms, allowing for quicker detection of spreading illness and quicker response to keep students healthy and in class. If your school or district is uncomfortable using the app, this program is unfortunately not a fit.

8. Who is Kinsa?

Learn more about Kinsa here.

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