Barton Schmitt Protocols: The trusted content in our clinical decision support tools
Our Symptom Checker is powered by 300+ clinically validated care guides developed from the trusted Barton Schmitt protocols — the gold standard in telephone triage for over 30 years. These guides help patients and parents assess how sick they (or their child) might be and what steps to take next. Every year, new guides are added and existing ones updated based on the latest evidence and input from leading medical organizations.
Looking for a smarter way to drive patient engagement? Our Symptom Checker acts as a clinical decision support tool that connects users to the right care at the right time. It integrates seamlessly with your scheduling, virtual visits, and in-person services, making it an ideal component of your digital front door strategy.
Origin: After-hours telephone triage and advice protocols
Our Symptom Checker care guides are derived from the most widely-used telephone care protocols in the world. The Barton Schmitt triage protocols are used in 95% of medical call centers in the United States and Canada. They have been the top decision-support tool since 1994. Many physicians and nurses refer to them as the standard of care. The Barton Schmitt pediatric telephone protocols are based on the following resources and evidence:
- National Guidelines and Policies (e.g., AAP, AAFP, ACEP, ACOG, CDC, FDA, AHA, ADA and other national organizations)
- The medical literature, including Cochrane reviews
- Expert reviewers (more than 100)
- Published research studies on the protocols (11)
Annual updates to Barton Schmitt triage protocols and care guides
Our digital triage tools are updated annually through a rigorous clinical review process. Updates are based on changes in medical literature, input from national organizations, quality improvement data, and reviews of high-risk cases. Nurse managers, medical directors, and a Primary Care Advisory Panel also provide recommendations. In global evaluations, the tool ranked among the top for triage accuracy.
Approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics
Since 2010, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) has used our Pediatric Symptom Checker on their public parenting website at healthychildren.org. They also selected Self Care Decisions to develop the official AAP Symptom Checker Apps: KidsDoc and KidsDoc en Español. Prior to implementation, the AAP reviewed the Symptom Checker content and made few change recommendations.
Easy-to-read triage content meets health literacy standards
Our Care Guides are written at a 6th grade reading level to ensure they’re easy to understand and follow. They’ve been tested using Health Literacy Innovations software, aligning with recommendations from the NIH, CDC, and other national organizations.
Mobile apps powered by Barton Schmitt protocols: proven results
Mobile apps using Barton Schmitt–based triage content have received positive reviews from experts and health systems. The tool guides users on what action to take, reduces unnecessary ED visits, offloads after-hours calls, and offers clear home care advice for managing minor illnesses and injuries.
Trusted Barton Schmitt triage protocols used nationwide
The Symptom Checker and the Barton Schmitt triage protocols content from which it was derived are both trusted by doctors and nurses. Unlike generic symptom checkers, our tool is built on clinically validated triage protocols used in 95% of U.S. medical call centers.
A recent study, "Triage Accuracy of Symptom Checker Apps: 5-Year Follow-up Evaluation" published in JMIR, found that many symptom checkers still struggle with triage accuracy, often misclassifying emergency cases or failing to offer clear guidance. Our tool is different. Developed by Dr. Barton Schmitt and trusted by the AAP, it ensures that patients receive accurate, evidence-based recommendations — helping to reduce unnecessary ER visits while ensuring urgent cases get the care they need.
Today, our digital triage tools are used by hundreds of healthcare organizations, including 500+ office websites and 30+ mobile apps, providing reliable decision support to patients and providers alike.
Barton Schmitt, MD: The voice behind pediatric telephone protocols and our triage content
Dr. Barton Schmitt (also commonly misspelled as Schmidt, Shmitt, or Shmidt) is the creator of the Barton Schmitt protocols and is a leading authority in pediatric telephone triage. (Copyright 2000-2025, Schmitt Pediatric Guidelines.) His work also serves as the foundation of the full-age content. The adult care guides, written by Dr. Schmitt’s associates are copyrighted as Schmitt Decision Logic.
30+ years of Barton Schmitt protocols guiding telephone triage and patient care
The Pediatric Symptom Checker is derived from the Barton Schmitt pediatric protocols, which serve as essential triage protocols for primary care centers and nurse call centers nationwide. All of his content sets are updated yearly.
- Pediatric Telephone Protocols: After Hours. 1988-[[year]]. Are used in nurse call centers.
- Pediatric Telephone Protocols: Office Hours. 1994-[[year]]. Are used in pediatric offices.
- Pediatric Instructions. 1990-[[year]]. Parent handouts are provided by physicians and office staff after a diagnosis is made.
Dr. Barton Schmitt is a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. He also has been the Medical Director of the After-Hours Call Center at Children’s Hospital Colorado since its inception 30+ years ago, where his primary care triage protocols support after-hours decision-making. In 1980 Dr. Schmitt wrote the first book on pediatric telephone advice, whose 17th edition is now published by the American Academy of Pediatrics and is used in most pediatric offices. He has received the C. Anderson Aldrich Award for contributions in child development and the AAP Education Award for contributions in pediatric education. His work has established a foundation for nurse triage software and modern triage protocols primary care providers rely on today. Dr. Schmitt continues to write new telephone protocols and parent handouts.
