Take Care Clinics At Select Walgreens Launch Mobile Appointment Setting With iTriage

Smartphone app lets patients conveniently schedule appointments and manage health care information from the palm of their hand

Take Care Health Systems, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Walgreens and the nation’s largest and most comprehensive manager of convenient care clinics and worksite health and wellness centers, has launched a pilot program offering patients fast and convenient mobile and online appointment scheduling services through consumer health care app iTriage. The scheduling functionality is now available in both the Chicago, Ill. and Denver, Colo. Markets.

“Today’s consumers are increasingly turning to their mobile devices to access health care information and services, wherever they are and whenever they need it,” said Heather Helle, divisional vice president for Walgreens Consumer Solutions Group. “Integrating with the mobile and online appointment-setting technology of iTriage allows us to provide our patients with another tool to help them better manage their personal health care.” 

When patients schedule an appointment at select Take Care Clinics using the free iTriage mobile app or website, they receive an immediate response to their request, increasing efficiency and streamlining the appointment process. iTriage also lets users identify symptoms, learn more about medical conditions and access a nationwide directory of medical providers.

“Consumers expect more control and convenience when accessing health care information and services, and iTriage is empowering patients to make more informed decisions,” said Peter Hudson, MD, CEO and co-founder of iTriage. “As an early innovator in the adoption of the retail clinic model and of mobile appointment setting, Take Care Clinics clearly recognize this dynamic market shift, and the value this service can offer its patients. We are hopeful that as the benefits of the iTriage app are demonstrated, that we can further expand the reach of this program.”

iTriage is available as a free download from app stores for iPhone and Android devices, and is accessible from any Internet-enabled device at www.iTriageHealth.com.

Take Care Clinics are walk-in, professional health care centers located at more than 350 select Walgreens drugstores across the country. Board-certified family nurse practitioners and physician assistants treat patients 18 months and older for common illnesses, offer preventative services such as vaccines and physicals and are licensed to wrote prescriptions, when necessary, that can be filled at the patient’s pharmacy of choice.  For more information, visit www.takecarehealth.com.

About Walgreens
Walgreens is the nation's largest drugstore chain with fiscal 2011 sales of $72B. The company operates 7,907 drugstores in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. Each day, Walgreens provides nearly 6 million customers the most convenient, multichannel access to consumer goods and services and trusted, cost-effective pharmacy, health and wellness services and advice in communities across America. Walgreens scope of pharmacy services includes retail, specialty, infusion, medical facility and mail service, along with respiratory services. These services improve health outcomes and lower costs for payers including employers, managed care organizations, health systems, pharmacy benefit managers and the public sector. Take Care Health Systems is a Walgreens subsidiary that is the largest and most comprehensive manager of worksite health and wellness centers and in-store convenient care clinics, with more than 700 locations throughout the country. For more information, visit www.walgreens.com

About iTriage, LLC
iTriage LLC, headquartered in Denver, Colorado, is a global healthcare technology company founded in 2008 by two emergency medicine physicians. The company’s market-leading platform and mobile/Web applications offer a proprietary Symptom-to-Provider pathway that empowers consumers to make better healthcare decisions. iTriage helps people answer the two most common medical questions: “What could be wrong?” and “Where should I go for treatment?”  Millions of consumers around the globe have downloaded the free iTriage mobile app on their iPhone and Android devices, and thousands of healthcare providers use iTriage to reach and communicate critical facility and service information to patients. For more information, visit http://about.iTriageHealth.com.