01 General
What is POD Health’s Piper/Parent App?
You can think of the Parent App/Piper as your educational and healthcare concierge. It brings together all your child’s medical information, therapies, school reports, documents, and daily progress into one organized place so you can deliver precision care and make clear, confident decisions without feeling overwhelmed.
Who is the Parent App/Piper meant for?
It’s built for you if you’re a parent or caregiver of a child with ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, Depression,or you’re simply managing a large care load. If you’re juggling school updates, therapies, medications, and large volumes of documents, the app gives you a clearer,more reliable view of your child’s care. It is particularly helpful for families who feel overwhelmed by fragmented information and want a clearer, more reliable view of their child’s care.
What problems will the Parent App/Piper help me solve?
You’ll stop feeling overwhelmed by scattered files, endless decisions, and incomplete information. The app organizes everything, syncs medical data from athenahealth EHR, summarizes long documents, and gives you personalized insights so you can see what’s helping your child, and what’s not.
How is this different from a regular health app, calendar, or journal?
Instead of giving you only reminders or a place to write notes and schedule appointments, the Parent App connects every part of your child’s care: progress tracking, medications, allergies, therapies, documents, and EHR data such as lab results. It doesn’t just store information; it helps you understand and use it to make better decisions. It uses all this information to give you personalized insights like how medication and therapies are affecting your child’s progress, summarizing long documents to save you time and using all your child’s information and trusted medical sources to give you personalized insights.
Do I need a formal diagnosis for my child to start using the app?
No. You can start using the app at any stage.Whether your child already has ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, or Depression, or you’re early in your journey and still collecting documents, records, evaluations and observations, the app helps you stay organized and gain clarity.
Can I use the app with another caregiver for the same child?
Yes. You and other caregivers can use the app together. Everyone sees the same up-to-date information, so you’re no longer maintaining separate notes or sending files back and forth.
02 Getting Started
How do I get started with the Parent App/Piper?
You can download the app from the iOS App Store or from the Google Play Store and create an account. From there, you add your child’s profile, connect to their EHR if available, and begin uploading key documents or answering a few initial questionnaires.
What information do I need to set up my child’s profile?
You’ll start with basic details such as name, age, gender and relevant medical information such as their medications and therapies. Over time, you can add documents, link to an EHR, connect your wearables (such as an Apple Watch), take questionnaires; log therapies, immunizations, allergies, medications, and lab results; and journal LifeLogs to build a complete picture.
Can I add multiple children?
Yes. You can create profiles for multiple children and switch between them in the app. Each child’s data, documents, and progress are kept clearly separated while still accessible from the same parent account.
Do I need to connect to an EHR to use the app?
No. EHR integration is optional. You can still upload documents, log therapies and medications, track progress, connect your wearables, journal LifeLogs and use Piper without connecting a medical record. Connecting an EHR simply reduces manual work and keeps medical data automatically up to date.
How long does it take for me to get meaningful value from the app?
You should be able to see value within the first few days: uploading a few key documents, answering initial questionnaires, connecting your wearable, journalling LifeLogs, and connecting to the EHR, if available, is usually enough for you to get an overview of their child’s situation and start receiving useful insights from Piper.
03 Data & Documents
What types of documents can I upload?
You can scan or upload school reports, IEPs, therapy notes, psychological evaluations, diagnostic reports, lab reports, and any other PDFs or images related to your child’s care. The app supports both scanned documents and digital files. There is no restriction as to what documents or images you want to upload.
How are my documents organized in the app?
Documents are displayed as a single list sorted by date uploaded, making it faster and easier to find what you need without navigating through folders or categories. You can star your documents so that important records are always easy to find. You can search across your documents by name, view a separate list of generated summaries and starred documents so that you can quickly access critical files you want to keep close at hand.
How does document summarization work?
When you upload a document, there is a button to generate an AI summary for the document. The app extracts key information and generates a concise summary, highlighting what matters most, such as diagnoses, recommendations, scores, or follow-up actions. This turns long, dense reports into something parents can actually use. These summaries are saved and can be accessed at will, and parents can share these summaries as well.
Can I search across my documents?
Yes. You can search across documents by typing the document name, making it easy to find a specific recommendation, term, or report without manually scanning through files. You can also sort by date and name to make it easier to organize your documents.
What if the app extracts something incorrectly from a document?
You retain control over their child’s information. You can review extracted information if needed, ensuring that the profile remains accurate and reflects your understanding of the child’s history.
Can I upload documents from my computer?
Yes. In addition to uploading files directly from your phone, you can upload files from your computer. The app supports images, standard document formats, and PDFs, all of which are stored securely as PDFs in your POD Health Cloud. The same 2GB storage limit applies regardless of whether you upload from your phone or computer.
04 athenahealth EHR & Medical Data
What medical data can the app import from my child’s EHR?
The app can automatically import medications, allergies, immunizations, and lab results from your athenahealth EHR system. This data appears in your child’s profile without requiring parents to manually re-enter it.
How often does EHR syncing occur?
Syncing happens automatically in the background on a regular basis, so when new medications, lab results, allergies or immunizations appear in your medical record, they are reflected in the app shortly after and will visible to you.
What if my child’s EHR system is not supported?
You can still use the app by uploading reports and entering key details manually. As more EHR connections are added over time, additional systems may become available for automatic syncing. Currently, the app only supports athenahealth users from the Child Neurology Consultants of Austin (CNCA) Clinic.
Can I disconnect the EHR connection later?
Yes. You can choose to disconnect your child’s EHR from the app. When you do, no new data will be fetched. You remain in control of what is linked and when.
Does the app change anything in my EHR?
No. The app only reads data from your athenahealth EHR; it does not write back or change anything in the medical record. It is designed to bring information into one place for you, not to modify official records.
05 Piper (AI Assistant)
What is Piper and what can it do for me?
Piper is the app’s AI assistant that understands your child’s profile and gives clear, personalized answers using your child’s data and trusted medical sources. You can ask about symptoms, medications, behaviors, lab results, reports, or therapy recommendations and get context-specific guidance. You can use the textbox to type questions or use Apple’s in-built keyboard to dictate questions by voice.
How is Piper different from a general AI chatbot?
Piper is grounded in your child’s actual data: documents, progress, medications, LifeLogs, wearable data and medical records. Rather than giving generic responses, it tailors its answers to your child’s situation and only uses trusted sources to support educational and health-related guidance.
Can Piper replace my doctor or therapist?
No. Piper is not a replacement for professional care. It helps you understand information, prepare for appointments, and ask better questions, but medical decisions should always be made with your child’s clinicians.
What kind of questions can I ask Piper?
You can ask Piper to explain a lab result, summarize a report, clarify a recommendation, help you understand a pattern in your child’s behavior, or explore how a medication or therapy might be impacting progress. Piper’s role is to make complex information comprehensible and actionable.
How does Piper use my child’s data safely?
Piper uses your child’s information only within the app to provide contextually relevant, personalized insights. It does not share your child’s data with advertisers or third parties for marketing purposes, and its use of data follows the same privacy and security protections as the rest of the app.
What are prompt templates in Piper?
Prompt templates are pre-written conversation starters that appear in the Piper chat interface. They cover a range of common use cases such as interpreting lab results, summarizing documents, or understanding progress trends. Tapping a template immediately starts a conversation with Piper based on that question. They are designed to help you get value from Piper quickly and to give you a sense of the kinds of questions you can ask.
Can I write my own questions to Piper instead of using templates?
Yes. The prompt templates are there for convenience and inspiration, but you can always type your own question directly into the prompt bar. You are not limited to the templates provided.
06 Progress & Insights
What conditions can I track in the app?
You can track progress for ADHD, Autism, Anxiety, and Depression through structured questionnaires that use clinically certified scoring to assess your child’s condition and their progress over time. Over time, the app will expand to support additional conditions and domains as needed.
How often should I complete progress questionnaires?
The app encourages you to take regular check-ins at a cadence that balances usefulness with workload, for example, daily, weekly or bi-weekly, so that trends can be seen clearly without adding unnecessary burden. You can adjust the frequency to what feels sustainable after consulting with your doctor.
How does the app link medications and therapies to my child’s progress?
When you log medications and therapies and complete your progress questionnaires, the app automatically connects these data points. You’ll see how changes in treatments line up with changes in your child’s symptoms or functioning, helping you understand whether something is helping, not helping, or needs to be discussed with your clinician.
How are insights presented in the app?
07 LifeLogs
What are LifeLogs?
LifeLogs is a built-in journal that lets you record observations, notes, highlights, lowlights, progress events and reflections about your child's day. You can type entries or use the mic button to enable voice dictation to capture thoughts quickly. Past entries are saved in a list in chronological order so you can review them over time.
How does Piper use my LifeLog entries?
Piper can proactively draw on your LifeLog entries when generating insights and answering your questions. You can also explicitly ask Piper to summarize your entries or identify patterns across them. The more consistently you log, the more context Piper has to help you understand your child's experience.
Can I share my LifeLog entries?
Yes. You can share individual LifeLog entries using your device's built-in sharing options. You can also ask Piper to generate a summary of your entries, which can then be exported and shared with your child's care team.
08 Wearables
Can I connect an Apple Watch to the app?
Yes. You can connect your Apple Watch to sync health data directly into your child's profile. The app reads activity, heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep data, and for Anxiety and Depression, it also captures environmental audio exposure. This data is used by Piper to provide richer, more personalized insights and is also displayed in your child's Vitals card on the home screen.
What health data does the Apple Watch sync for each condition?
The app collects data that is most relevant to each condition. For ADHD and Autism, it syncs activity metrics such as steps, distance, active energy, and exercise time, along with heart rate, heart rate variability, and sleep. For Anxiety and Depression, it syncs all of the above and additionally captures environmental audio exposure, which can be a relevant factor in understanding sensory experiences and mood patterns.
Do I need an Apple Watch to use the app?
No. The Apple Watch connection is optional. You can still use all other features of the app, including Piper, progress questionnaires, document management, and LifeLogs, without a wearable. Connecting an Apple Watch simply adds another layer of objective, continuous data to enrich your child's profile and Piper's insights.
What is the Anxiety Indicator on the home screen?
The Anxiety Indicator is a score shown on the Vitals card on your home screen. It is calculated from your child's Apple Watch data and gives you a real-time signal of how your child is doing. Tapping on the Vitals card lets you drill down into the condition and view the specific health metrics being tracked. The indicator requires your Apple Watch to be synced. If it is not connected, the app will prompt you to connect your device.
How does wearable data feed into Piper?
Piper automatically incorporates your child's Apple Watch data when generating insights and answering your questions. You do not need to ask Piper to use it specifically. This means that when you ask about your child's sleep patterns, activity levels, or anxiety trends, Piper will draw on wearable data alongside questionnaire results, documents, and other information in your child's profile.
09 Collaboration & Sharing
How does the app support collaboration with clinicians, therapists, and schools?
By keeping data clean, organized, and visual, the app makes it easier to have productive conversations with professionals. Instead of trying to recall details, you can show clear progress graphs, summaries, and timelines during visits.
Can I share information from the app with my child’s care team?
Yes. You can export documents, summaries and LifeLogs as PDFs and share them through the iPhone’s built-in capabilities such as email, messages, or AirDrop. This helps clinicians and therapists quickly see accurate, up-to-date information without relying solely on memory.
Can my child’s clinicians log directly into the app?
The current version of the Parent App is designed primarily for parents and caregivers. Clinicians access information through the summaries and reports you choose to share. Future versions may explore additional clinician-facing features or integrations.
10 Security, Privacy & Control
How is my child’s data stored and secured?
All data is encrypted in transit and at rest. Access to your account is protected, and only you control who receives exported summaries or shared information. The app follows a privacy-first approach typical of healthcare-grade applications.
Who can see my child’s information?
Only people you permit can see your child’s information. Clinicians and schools do not automatically gain access; they only see what you explicitly choose to share, such as exported PDFs or screenshots.
Is my data used for advertising or sold to third parties?
No. Your child’s data is not sold to advertisers and is not used to target ads. The purpose of the Parent App is to support your child’s care, not to monetize their health information through advertising.
Can I delete my child’s data if I stop using the app?
Yes. You can request deletion of your data, and the app will remove your child’s information from its systems, subject to any legal or compliance requirements. You remain in control of whether your data persists.
What happens if I lose my phone?
Your account is protected by your login credentials, and data is not stored in plain form on the device. You can log in from another iOS device and, if needed, update your password to prevent unauthorized access.
11 Usage, Limits & Daily Experience
How much time will I need to spend using the app each week?
You’ll only need a small amount of time each week, usually just a few minutes to answer a questionnaire, upload a document, or check your dashboard. The app is designed to save you time overall by reducing repeated searches, re-entering information, and manual organization.
Does the app send me reminders or notifications?
No, the app does not send you reminders or notifications in its current version.
Can I use the app when I’m offline?
You can view some information that was previously loaded on your device, but features like Piper, syncing, and uploading new documents require an internet connection. This ensures your data stays accurate and up to date.
Are there limits on document size or the number of files I can upload?
No, there are no limits on document size or number of uploads. You are given 2GB of space on the POD Health Cloud to be able to upload your files.
What happens if I stop using the app for a while?
Your data remains in place, and you can resume using the app at any time. Progress graphs will simply reflect the periods where no new information was added, and you can pick up again with fresh check-ins and uploads.
12 Platform & Availability
What devices can I use the Parent App on?
You can use the Parent App on iOS and android devices by downloading it through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store respectively.
Will I be able to use the app on Android or in other countries?
Yes, you can use the app on Android and in other countries as well. The Android version app has all the features that the iOS version does except for the ability to connect wearables which is coming soon.
How can I give feedback during the private beta?
You can share feedback directly through the app’s support or feedback section. As with any early-stage product, real-world usage and parent insights are critical to improving the experience and shaping future features.
How do I get help if I run into issues?
In-app support is available to help with technical issues, data questions, or general usage. You can also contact the support team through the channels listed in the app if something is not working as expected.
13 One-Time Setup FAQs
How do I create an account and get started?
You can download the Parent App from the iOS App Store or the Google Play Store, tap Get Started, create an account with your email, and verify the 6-digit code sent to your inbox.
What should I review during onboarding?
You’ll set privacy preferences, including whether to share anonymized usage data and review all data-security commitments from POD Health.
How do I add my child’s profile?
You will need to open the Home Screen, tap Add New Child, enter their name, date of birth, and gender, and save. Repeat for multiple children.
Can I add more than one child?
Yes, you can. Each child has an independent profile with separate data, documents, and progress tracking.
How do I upload medical or school documents?
You will need to go to Records, then click on the Documents card and select either Upload or Scan an image to convert it into a PDF. Post Upload/Scan, click on save.
Where are my documents stored?
Documents are stored securely in the POD Health Cloud so you can access them across devices.
How do I organize important files?
You can mark any file as Starred to keep critical items like diagnostic summaries or prescriptions so that are easy to access.
How do I take my first progress questionnaire?
Go to the Progress Tracking tab on the dashboard, choose a condition, complete the questionnaire, and review the charts and breakdowns.
What do I achieve by completing the first setup?
You’ll have:
A created parent account
One or more child profiles
Uploaded documents
Your first progress questionnaires logged
This forms the foundation for all future insights and monitoring.
14 Ongoing Health Management FAQs
How often should I take progress questionnaires?
Most parents complete questionnaires daily, weekly or bi-weekly, or at the appropriate frequency that is decided by you and/or your doctor.
What do the condition questionnaires cover?
ADHD: 18 questions + symptom breakdown + trend
Autism: 25 questions + trend
Anxiety: 7 questions + trend
Depression: 9 questions + trend
How do I interpret the results?
ADHD charts show a breakdown of hyperactive vs inattentive symptoms.
Other conditions show trends over time.
You can also ask Piper to interpret any pattern.
How do I track growth metrics?
Go to the Manage Section and click on the Growth card, enter height, weight, and head circumference, and view the updated growth chart.
Can Piper help explain changes over time?
Yes. Piper can analyze patterns, highlight improvement or regression, and note correlations with therapies or medications.
How do I prepare progress data for appointments?
Show the ADHD breakdown, trends, and growth charts directly in the app. You can export PDFs for doctors or school teams.
What is the benefit of using the app consistently?
You build a continuous record that improves decision-making and allows Piper to provide stronger, more personalized insights.
15 Crisis Mode FAQs
How do I quickly access critical health information?
Tap Starred Documents on your child’s profile to find allergy notes, emergency plans, medication lists, diagnostic summaries and other relevant information.
How do I share documents in an emergency?
Open any document and use the iOS Share Sheet to send via Email, Messages, or AirDrop.
What progress data is helpful in emergencies?
Tap Starred Documents on your child’s profile to find allergy notes, emergency plans, medication lists, diagnostic summaries and other relevant information.
Can I show these to ER or urgent care staff?
Often helpful:
Recent medication, therapy and effects on condition trends
Recent symptom changes
How do I update records after an emergency?
Upload discharge documents, add new prescriptions, and log any follow-up instructions directly in your child’s profile.
16 EHR Integration FAQs
How do I connect my child’s EHR?
Tap Sync with athenahealth, log in using your provider credentials, and grant read-only access.
What data syncs automatically?
Medications
Allergies
Immunizations
Lab results
All sync in the background.
Will EHR data overwrite what I manually enter?
No. Manual and synced entries remain separate. You can edit only local entries.
How do I view lab results?
Go to your child’s profile, click on the Manage tab, and then on the Lab Results card to see historical values and normal vs abnormal indicators.
Can Piper explain lab results?
Yes. Piper can explain what a value means, what the normal range indicates, and what to discuss with your clinician (without diagnosing).
17 Using Piper FAQs
What can I ask Piper?
Anything related to your child’s profile, such as:
“Has my child’s condition progressed this month?”
“Summarize this psychological evaluation.”
“Explain this lab result.”
“Does this medication have any side effects?”
How does Piper personalize insights?
Piper combines:
Your child’s progress data
EHR-synced and local manually entered information
Uploaded documents
Growth charts
Trusted medical knowledge sources
Can Piper help prepare for appointments?
Yes. You can ask:
“Summarize symptoms since our last visit.”
“List all therapy changes this month.”
“Prepare a progress summary for the psychiatrist.”
Can Piper interpret therapy or medication effectiveness?
Piper can use your existing data and provide you details regarding your therapy and medication. However, it is recommended that you consult your doctor to establish causality of medications and therapies on progress.
Can Piper create summaries?
Yes, you can generate summaries of any document you upload by clicking the generate summary button or by asking Piper to generate a summary. You can export any summary as a PDF.
What are Piper’s limitations?
Piper cannot diagnose, prescribe, give crisis advice, replace clinicians, or infer missing data.
What happens when Piper doesn’t have enough data?
Piper tells you what’s missing and may prompt you to upload a document or complete a questionnaire.
Can Piper analyze patterns month-over-month?
Yes. You can ask:
“Was March better than February?”
“What was the month-on-month progress for the year 2025?”
How do I make the most of Piper?
You can regularly upload documents, log therapies, take questionnaires, and keep records updated. Piper becomes more powerful and is able to help you more as your child’s data grows.