Successful app created in South West to help families care for ill children

HANDi Paediatric is a free digital app created by two paediatric consultants at Taunton’s Musgrove Park Hospital to give parents and carers a one-stop-shop of information about common childhood illnesses and how to care for them.

The app, which has been downloaded 4000 times was developed by Dr Amy Whiting and Dr Sarah Bridges describes care plans and guidelines for the six most common childhood health concerns which include the following:

•Diarrhoea (Gastroenteritis)
•Chesty Baby (Bronchiolitis)
•Chesty Child (Wheeze and Asthma)
•High temperature
•Abdominal Pain
•Common new-born problems

By downloading the App, home care plans, primary care and certain Hospital clinical guidelines can be seen by parents/carers.  The aim is to have a single care pathway from home, through community health care and into hospital that can be clearly seen by everyone involved in the ‘system’.

It will help to give families and carers a better idea of when and how to ask for help, as well as providing information on what to expect when a child is being assessed.
Dr Amy Whiting and Dr Sarah Bridges said: “…We created this app hoping it empowers parents and carers to feel confident in caring for their unwell child, and to find the right support where and when they need it”.

The guidelines have been developed using a traffic light system that guides professionals to the most appropriate healthcare advice, support or referral for an individual child.  These integrated guidelines should help parents/carers feel that they are getting consistent advice wherever and whenever their child is seen.  Both parents/carers and healthcare professionals are encouraged to look at each of the three pathways for each of the six common conditions.

The successful app, which started at Musgrove Park, has now grown and is available for the following hospitals also; Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital, Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, Northern Devon Healthcare NHS Trust and Bristol Royal Hospital for Children.

It has the capability to support; iPhone, iPad and Android Phone/Tablet and can be downloaded from Google Play or from the iTunes App Store.

To download HANDi Paediatric for free, please use the following links:
For those with an Android phone please either click – https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.myoxygen.handi.taunton
For those with an iPhone please either click – https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/handi- taunton/id969445171?mt=8