3/14/2011
Now there’s an app for us. UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh is among the first pediatric hospitals in the nation to release its own app for the Apple iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch.
The free app, called UPMC Children’s, is a pediatric symptom checker that features contact information and directions to the hospital and emergency department, the ability to request an appointment online, links to UPMC Children’s Hospital’s Express Care Centers and more.
“Think of this app as a first-aid kit for parents that they can carry in their pockets for almost any injury or illness,” said Steven G. Docimo, M.D., Children’s chief medical officer. “We also feel this will be an incredibly convenient and useful tool for parents who want to make an appointment with a specialist at Children’s or who want directions to the hospital or an Express Care Center from wherever they may be.”
ChildrensPgh is available for download from Apple’s iTunes store or from Children’s Hospital’s website.
From abdominal pain to wheezing and every symptom in between, ChildrensPgh offers advice and answers to practically any question a parent might have. ChildrensPgh is derived from the clinical protocols used by pediatricians and nurses in 10,000 practices and 400 nurse advice call centers in the United States and Canada. The protocols have been tested for more than 15 years on more than 150 million symptom calls.
The app features three-step navigation: The user chooses the most appropriate symptom care guide from among 91 available, touches the symptom decision chart to find the recommended action, and then follows the self-care advice. The symptoms can be located quickly by using an alphabetical index, body area index or keyword search.
In addition to the care guides, the app features pediatric dosage tables by weight for common over-the-counter medications, visual images to help identify symptoms (e.g. rashes), injuries and common causes of bites and stings, and first-aid illustrations to support immediate action, if needed.
UPMC Children’s app is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. To make an appointment with a Children’s Hospital specialist, parents and caregivers can call 412-692-PEDS (7337) or click on “Online Appointment Request.”
Marc Lukasiak, 412-692-7919, marc.lukasiak@chp.edu
Wendy Zellner, 412 586-9777, ZellnerWL@upmc.edu