Atrium Health Collaborates with Sneez App to Provide Consumers with Real-Time Health Information

CHARLOTTE, N.C., February 25, 2020 – With flu season well underway and a number of other illnesses circulating this time of year, Atrium Health has collaborated with the makers of the Sneez App to provide the public with real-time information regarding illness in their geographic area in order to help consumers and their families stay informed and healthy. 

The Sneez App tracks a wide variety of illnesses including upper respiratory infections such as the influenza (flu) virus and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), strep throat, allergies, asthma, lice, conjunctivitis (pink eye), tick-borne illnesses and more. The app is updated daily using aggregated data from Atrium Health’s primary care and urgent care practices, ensuring all information is accurate and timely.

Data will appear as a heat map identifying which illnesses are circulating in the area. App users can receive alerts about reported cases of illness and record their own cases in real-time. Knowledge about which illnesses are prevalent in the app user’s area is crucial for staying healthy. The Sneez App can also connect users with local healthcare providers close to home. Other features of the app include the ability to reserve a spot with local urgent care locations and see healthcare providers through virtual visits.

Users are also able to self-report their symptoms, which will appear on the app in the form of emojis. All individual identities are private and will not be revealed on the Sneez App. Data is completely anonymous and grouped by zip code - specific locations and personal details will not be shared.

This technology is a great tool for parents who would like to stay informed of the latest illness trends in their area to keep their children healthy.

"The Sneez App is an innovative way to keep families informed about illnesses in their area. With this type of information, families can avoid certain ‘hot spots’ and hopefully prevent illness or seek medical care if their child is showing signs of an illness that has been identified in their area,” says Dr. Anna Kowalczyk, pediatrician at Atrium Health Levine Children’s Cotswold Pediatrics.

As a leading healthcare organization in the Southeast and one of the most comprehensive, not-for-profit systems in the country, Atrium Health continues to evolve to meet patients where they are; with the right care, at the right place at the right time. This collaboration with Sneez App demonstrates Atrium Health’s commitment to providing the best and most innovative care and access to health information for patients and community members.

The Sneez App is free and available to download in the App Store or Google Play. To learn more, visit here.

Atrium Health, previously Carolinas HealthCare System, is one of the nation's leading and most innovative healthcare organizations, providing a full spectrum of healthcare and wellness programs throughout the Southeast region. Its diverse network of care locations includes academic medical centers, hospitals, freestanding emergency departments, physician practices, surgical and rehabilitation centers, home health agencies, nursing homes and behavioral health centers, as well as hospice and palliative care services. Atrium Health works to enhance the overall health and well-being of its communities through high-quality patient care, education and research programs, and numerous collaborative partnerships and initiatives. 

About Sneez

Created by pediatric physicians William Satterwhite, MD, and Steven Hodges, MD, Sneez is the first of its kind real-time illness tracking app.  Sneez uses diagnosis data from local physicians and urgent care locations to inform the public of a variety of sicknesses occurring in their specific geography, including flu, colds, strep throat and other common illnesses. This data is used to create a virtual heat map of illnesses circulating in local communities by zip code. App users can also report symptoms for themselves and members of their household which display as emojis on the heat maps. The app also helps consumers and their families connect with local healthcare providers through scheduling in-office and virtual visits with providers, as well as equipping users with helpful information such as the wait times at their local emergency room. Sneez is committed to helping local communities stay informed and healthy. Sneez. Get Smart, Not Sick.