# Novel Mobile Application to Reduce Health Disparities by Improving Dosing Accuracy of Children's Medication

> **NIH NIH R43** · PEDIADOSE LLC · 2024 · $333,630

## Abstract

PROJECT SUMMARY
Errors in the administration of children’s medication at home is a significant health problem which
disproportionately affects individuals with low health literacy and limited English proficiency. As a result, multiple
NIH-designated health disparities populations, including lower socioeconomic status (SES) and minority
populations, have a higher incidence of children’s medication errors, which result in poor symptom control, risk
of overdose, higher emergency department utilization, and hospitalization. Differences in child health can have
a cumulative life-course effect contributing to further inequities in adulthood. Health literacy is a modifiable risk
factor which has been shown to improve through digital health tools, including demonstrating a positive effect on
child health outcomes through improved parental health literacy. As such, efforts to reduce health disparities in
childhood can have a positive effect in adulthood. Pedia-Dose is developing a novel smart phone application
that uses a combination of photo image recognition and a custom dosing calculator to instantly calculate an
individual child’s over-the-counter (OTC) medication dose. In this Phase I proposal, we plan to use this proof of
concept mobile app as the framework for a redesigned Pedia-Dose App targeting root causes of home
medication errors to improve health literacy, expand access to high quality health information, and reduce
children’s medication errors through the following aims: (1) Implement evidence-based digital innovations
targeting root causes of medication errors to improve health literacy and expand access to health information for
NIH-designated health disparities populations. (2.1) Conduct a simulated usability study comparing the Pedia-
Dose App with traditional dosing tools in a diverse user population to validate this novel approach. (2.2) User
feedback will be incorporated into a redesigned mobile app that is intuitive and culturally sensitive. (3) Work with
an established regulatory consultant to prepare a pre-submission application to the FDA in preparation for a
510k application for regulatory approval as a mobile medical device. The Pedia-Dose Team has the backing of
a wide range of institutional, regulatory, software development, and business partners to successfully complete
this Phase I proposal. Successful development and validation of this novel approach providing real-time
children’s medication dosing information at home has the potential to fundamentally change how parents and
caregivers obtain information about children’s medication. By targeting root causes of medication errors to
improve health literacy and expand access to high quality medical information, this project has the potential to
positively impact the trajectory of an individual’s health throughout life, most notable for NIH-designated health
disparities populations.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10815132
- **Project number:** 1R43MD018229-01A1
- **Recipient organization:** PEDIADOSE LLC
- **Principal Investigator:** Tuzdy Currlin
- **Activity code:** R43 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2024
- **Award amount:** $333,630
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2024-05-01 → 2025-04-30

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10815132

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10815132, Novel Mobile Application to Reduce Health Disparities by Improving Dosing Accuracy of Children's Medication (1R43MD018229-01A1). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10815132. Licensed CC0.

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