New Akron Children’s Hospital app brings kids’ health info to mobile devices

03-27-2019 (Akron, Ohio)

Akron Children’s Hospital’s new mobile application makes accessing a wide range of health care advice and hospital information as easy as tapping a button. Akron Children’s Anywhere is now available for download free for both Apple and Android mobile devices.

“The app can be used by anyone in the community, whether their child is a patient of Akron Children’s or not, to help them deal with a wide range of situations,” said Beth Smith, Akron Children’s vice president of marketing and public relations. “And for current patients, it brings together a variety of existing and new useful tools in one convenient location.”

Parents can browse the main menu to find information such as:

• Symptom Checker: to find out what they could mean and advice on what to do
• Parent Advice: for answers to questions about behaviors, eating or wellness
• Find a Doc: directory searchable by name, specialty, location or distance to find the right care for a child
• Locations: quick access across Akron Children’s two hospital campuses and 60-plus primary, specialty and urgent care locations with hours, address and contact information
• First Aid: for quick reference on common injuries when time is precious
• Meds: for dosage information, pharmacy details and maintaining a list of a child’s medications
• Emergency: for quick connections to the Poison Control Center, 9-1-1 and Emergency Rooms
• Contact Us: phone numbers, website, email address and address for Akron Children’s services
• Giving: make a difference to the thousands of children the hospital treats with an online donation

“In the U.S. today, a person averages five hours a day on their phone, and 90 percent of that time is spent in apps,” said Harun Rashid, Akron Children’s chief information officer. “Through Akron Children’s Anywhere, we are helping families determine the appropriate level of care for their child’s illness or injury and then pointing them to the appropriate Akron Children’s service.”

The new app also gives users quick access to their MyChart account and all its features, including messaging doctors, requesting prescription renewals, direct scheduling and obtaining test results. Those without a MyChart account can create a profile and save their family information to save time when checking the app in the future. Users also can access Bill Pay directly from the app.

The hospital plans to add features such as virtual visits and the ability to schedule appointments to the app later this year.