Using the Spruce App as a Patient

IN THIS ARTICLE

We're here to help! 

If you're having trouble creating your Patient Spruce account to connect with your healthcare professional, please select this link to connect with our Patient Support Team. We will help you get connected! 

You can also read the article below, which covers all the basic steps to get started on Spruce.

Introduction to Spruce for patients

Welcome to Spruce! The Spruce app is an all-in-one communication platform for healthcare professionals and patients. If you're here, you've probably been invited to use Spruce by your healthcare provider. When you download the Spruce app, you can conveniently exchange messages with your provider and have the comfort of knowing your communication is secure, encrypted, and HIPAA-compliant. 

Spruce gives you more than just messaging. You can send and receive photos, videos, and PDF attachments as well. And if your provider uses telemedicine, you may do video calls or fill out health questionnaires on Spruce. Everything you receive from your provider is stored inside the Spruce app, and when you receive a new message, you'll get a notification on your phone from Spruce. 

(If you're already on Spruce and you need help troubleshooting access to your account, please see our account troubleshooting article.) 

Accepting your healthcare professional's invitation

To start using Spruce, you must have an invitation link from your clinician's practice. This special link tells Spruce which clinic you'll communicate with once you're in the app. Typically they will send the invitation link via text message or email. Here are the steps to accept your clinician's invitation and set up your Spruce account.

Accepting the invitation from a text or email:

1
You must accept the invitation from your mobile smart phone or desktop computer. Go ahead and find your invitation link on your mobile phone or computer now.
2
Open the email or text message that contains the invitation link. The link usually looks like this:  spruce.care/_______. Click the link. You may have to click the link twice. 
3
If you're on your mobile phone (if not skip to Step 5), your internet browser will open to a Spruce webpage. Select Get the App & Connect. This will take you to the iOS App Store or Google Play, depending on your phone.
4
Select the Spruce app and download. Once the download is complete, open the Spruce app on your phone and select  Continue when prompted. 
5
Select  Continue, and enter your personal mobile phone number. You will receive a verification code via text message. (If you do not receive a verification code within five minutes, delete the app and start again from step one.)
6
On the next screen, enter the verification code, select  Next, enter your profile information, and then email and password to complete your setup. You can begin messaging with your provider once you have completed these steps!

Accepting an invitation without an email or text

Clinics can also invite patients to Spruce by sharing their invitation link on a flier or on their website. If you receive the invitation link in written format, enter the link in the web browser on your mobile phone or computer, then follow the instructions above, starting with Step 3.

Signing up without a practice's invitation

If you do not have an invitation, you may still download the Spruce app from the app store and create a patient account. When you select Need an account? followed by I'm a Patient, you will see the options Yes, my provider uses Spruce or No, I need to find a clinic. 

If you select " Yes, my provider uses Spruce", you'll get prompted to enter in their personal Spruce link in order to connect with them directly. Please reach out to them if you do not know it. If you select that you need to find a clinician, you'll be connected to Spruce Care Concierge where our team will help you find the right provider

Accessing Spruce from the web browser

Once you have created your Spruce account, you can navigate to www.sprucehealth.com on a web browser (Google Chrome is recommended) and select "Login." Then, you can login with your existing account credentials (username/password) and access Spruce from the web. 

If you haven't created your account yet, please get in touch with your provider and ask them to invite you to join Spruce. 

Messaging your healthcare practice

Any time you log in to Spruce, you will see all of the clinics you are connected to under the Get Care tab. You can initiate a call or message from this tab at any time. Any existing and past conversations will appear in your Conversation tab. To send a message, simply select the "+" icon on the bottom right-hand corner, choose who you'd like the message to go to, and compose your message by tapping into the compose bar at the bottom of the screen and select Send.

Sending attachments 

You can securely send photos, videos, and PDFs to your healthcare professional and team using Spruce. Select the Camera Icon at the bottom of the screen to send a photo or video. Select the "+" icon at the bottom of the screen and then File to send a PDF. The file you want to send will need to be available on your mobile phone in order to attach it through Spruce.

Accepting video calls from your healthcare provider  

You can accept video calls from your clinician on your mobile smart phone or desktop/laptop computer. Only your provider can initiate a video call. At the time of your video appointment, it is best to have the Spruce app open and logged in, ready to accept the video call. 

Accepting video calls from your mobile device:  

  • Sign into the Spruce app on your mobile device.
  • From the incoming call screen, press "accept."

Accepting video calls from your desktop or laptop computer (from the Google Chrome or Safari browser): 

  • Sign into www.sprucehealth.com with the same credentials.
  • From the incoming call screen, press "accept."

Troubleshooting video calls

If you are having trouble accepting video calls as a patient on the Spruce app, please check the following:

  • Ensure that you are logged into the Spruce app. You don't have to have the app open or your phone screen on, but you MUST be logged into your Spruce account to accept an incoming call.
  • Make sure that the Spruce app has permission to send you notifications. Check your device preferences and allow alerts, banners, and other notification types, so that you will be alerted to incoming calls.

  • For best results, have the Spruce app OPEN at the time of the incoming call. If you do not have the Spruce app open, your device may only provide you a relatively subtle notification of an incoming call, such as a banner and/or a short buzz:

  • If you are using a desktop or laptop web browser, make sure that you have granted camera and microphone permissions to the Spruce app. For the Google Chrome browser, please check this guide to using your camera and microphone with websites like Spruce.

Adjusting your Spruce settings

On iPhone

You can access your Settings page by selecting the Settings in the bottom right-hand corner. 

  • Select Notification Preferences to adjust your Spruce notifications as needed. 
  • If you need help from the technical support team for the Spruce app, select Email Support to reach us. We're happy to help, but please note that we are not part of your clinician's practice, and you should not send us any medical information. 
  • To log off of Spruce, select Sign Out in your settings.

On Android

  • Select Notifications from your Settings panel to set up your notification preferences.
  • If you need help from the technical support team for the Spruce app, select Email Support to reach us. We're happy to help, but please note that we are not part of your clinician's practice, and you should not send us any medical information. 
  • To log off of Spruce, select Sign Out in your settings.

Not using Spruce yet? Learn more here.

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