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New Smartphone App Identifies Symptoms

LOS ANGELES (CBS) — When you feel sick, you want help fast. And now there's an app for that. It's called iTriage. It's free and available to iPhone and Android users.

A symptom checker starts the process. Based on the symptoms that they're having, the app will take them on a series of additional questions and direct them toward the kind of provider that they need to see for that particular problem.

Then the application also guides you to the nearest provider for the type of care you need. If it's urgent care, you'll be directed to a Texas Medclinic or other nearby offices.

The application was created by two emergency room physicians and launched in 2007.

About 40 percent of Americans are carrying around smartphones these days and people are demanding access to useful information on their personal devices. Texas Medclinic wants to be part of the trend.

The app, however, is no replacement for an emergency room.

"You know, if you're having a serious medical emergency, you should call 9-1-1 and not download an app and look it up on your phone," Texas MedClinic CEO Dr. David Gude said. "But outside of that, it gives people some good direction and good ideas."

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