Ann: Paediatric Study Published In Peer-Reviewed Journal, page-150

thanks for your reply.

In regards to correct diagnosis rates, I know how devastating making a wrong decision can be based both on personal experience as well through a project I completed at my local teaching hospital. it was on Paediatric Sepsis and my work was submitted to the NSW Sepsis group for consideration. I also the. followed this up with another project in the department that encourage doctors to refer and implement the local sepsis algorithm. I can send you a copy to if you send me an email address. I fully appreciate that doctors need aids to help them.

my issues with the app in its current form is its utility in the hospital but also in over the phone/Tele medicine. for example...

Parent presents to triage/calls hotline with child.
the app says your child's cough is NOT pneumonia.
Do you want to see a doctor?
astute parent asks for accuracy and then works out its wrong 15% of the time. I would assume they still want to see a doctor.

Parent present to triage/calls hotline
the app says your child's cough is pneumonia
we can give you script over the phone for some antibiotics or do you want to see a doctor?
parent ask about the accuracy and is told it might be something more or less serious 15% of the time. is there answer the same. I don't know. but this scenario scares me.

triage assesses severity of illness (cough with signs of sepsis, hypoxia or airway obstruction) and/or risk of deterioration (e.g well oncology child with febrile neutropenia). If you are well and have a cough, you can wait. the app won't change this.

This company has potential. I like what they are doing but this app doesn't do it for me....yet.