The idea for PocketMedi was conceived by parents who spent nearly 18 months coping with the life-threatening health issues of their baby. As the father of a daughter born with serious health issues, he knew what a confusing, frustrating and lonely experience it could be. As a software developer, he knew that mobile technology had the potential to offer parents the support and information they needed during this difficult time.

The parents decided to take control of their daughter's care. They gathered all the information they could about her condition and began to participate in decisions about her care. As they took a more active role, the hospital staff responded positively, working closely with the parents and embracing a family-centered approach to their daughter's care.

Together, as a team, they were able to help her make a remarkable recovery, and today her future looks brighter. For the parents, becoming more involved in their child's care helped them feel more hopeful and less helpless - and they are convinced that family-centered care improved their daughter's health outcomes.

The parents decided to use his experience as a parent and a technology specialist to create a mobile application that would help other parents manage their child's care more effectively and build close networks with family, friends, other parents and healthcare practitioners.

The team at PocketMedi Inc., spent 18 months designing and building a powerful, easy-to-use application that works on any iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry or Android device. PocketMedi includes social networking tools and a wealth of information designed to help parents become more informed, organized and confident about their child's care. The recently launched application is now available in beta format for parents to download and use. PocketMedi is scheduled for a full launch early 2011.