“If a child has swallowed something bad, should you let it drink, or should you let it vomit?” The new iPhone app Binkie for quick first aid.

“If a child has swallowed something bad, should you let it drink, or should you let it vomit?”

The new iPhone app Binkie for quick first aid.

It’s always frightening for any new parent when their child is in pain, has fallen or has swallowed something bad. The perfect iPhone app has been developed especially for this group: Binkie. Binkie provides quick answers to the most pressing question when something like that happens: what should I do?

Anyone who wants medical advice can find a myriad of

information on the internet. The same is true of the current medical apps. They are not really user-friendly because they do not provide what you really need at those moments. Parents of a sick child do not want extensive information, but want to know what they must do to help. Binkie has been developed to answer precisely that question!

From symptom to action
Binkie lists no less than 68 diseases and types of accidents that can happen to young children.

The application starts with the symptom: these are listed alphabetically, but can also be found by clicking on Binkie’s body parts. Binkie then asks questions and shows pictures of various symptoms that help you to identify the complaint. The parent is told what he or she must do and when a doctor should be called. Binkie also offers the possibility of storing important emergency telephone numbers, such as those of the general practitioner and pharmacy, so they can be called immediately. Binkie is not intended as a replacement for the general practitioner, but as a first, practical port of call for parents, grandparents, carers, teachers or childminders.

Made for and by young parents

Binkie is different because the app was created by young parents: Wessel Tiessens and Inge Koolen. Inge’s dissatisfaction with the scarce visual information in the booklets provided by the health clinic gave her the idea for an app. Inge Koolen: “As young parents, you’re often faced by questions that need an immediate and clear answer. But you don’t necessarily want to go to the general practitioner or hospital, especially not during the weekend. In those cases it would be helpful to be able to check, using photos, what for instance those red spots might be.”

Wessel turned with this idea to his colleagues, Christian Loncle and Danny Gorter, also parents of young children. Together they had just started the Dutch Application Company, in the spring of 2010, a development company for mobile applications. Because Christian’s wife Linda is a general practitioner, she was involved from the start to bring her knowledge to the development of Binkie. Linda Loncle: “Every single day in my practice I meet parents who worry about their child. Quite often, simple actions or facts might make life a lot easier for these parents and their child. There’s the internet, of course, but that usually gives too much information. Or it doesn’t tell you what you need to do. Should I go to the doctor or should I wait and see? That’s what parents want to know.” The Smartphone application Binkie answers these questions.

Dutch Application Company
Dutch Application Company develops and produces mobile applications for both businesses and consumers. The company is a start-up of Danny Gorter, former
CFO of Ortel, Christian Loncle, formerly IT manager at KPN Mobiel and Telfort, and Wessel Tiessens, who worked as an independent entrepreneur in (area) marketing and concept development.

The Dutch Application Company develops mobile applications that strengthen and improve company strategies. The Dutch Application Company not only develops nice, new ‘gadgets’ but creates mobile solutions with added value.
In addition, the company develops applications for both the consumer market as the B2B market, at its own risk, but also with other parties. Dutch Applications Company produces the business case, the creative concept and takes care of marketing and promotion campaigns.

Binkie in bullets

Binkie
 Practical information about no less than 68 complaints that may affect children
 A direct answer to the question: what should I do?
 Photos that help you to recognize the complaint
 Developed in consultation with general practitioners

 Link to medical telephone numbers that you can enter yourself
 Costs only €2,39
More info on http://bit.ly/binkieapp

Short description of Binkie

Binkie tells you what to do if your child is ill or has an accident

This practical iPhone app provides an immediate answer to the question what you should do if your child has been wounded, is ill or has swallowed something bad. A clever menu, supported by photographs, helps you to recognize the complaint quickly. No less than 68 complaints are included. Binkie has been tested by general practitioners and offers you the possibility of entering your own medical telephone numbers. Put your mind at rest for only € 2,39