Kelowna mother Teri Anne Boucher remembers the day her son Justin Vasquez took a hard body check in minor hockey that gave him a head injury.

At eight years of age, Justin had a concussion.

And even though Boucher worked in the health care sector as a physiotherapist, she was at a loss as to what to do.

"There was nothing out there. There was no information," she said.

"You feel lost. You feel very afraid because you know it's a head injury."

Now Boucher is hopeful parents won't struggle to find accurate and consistent information about concussions symptoms and what to do, as she did.

Input symptoms

Kelowna-based company PACE Concussion has developed a concussion recovery app aimed at helping children in the 5-to-19 age range and their parents identify and manage concussions.

The smartphone app outlines steps parents can take if they suspect their child has a concussion.

It also allows them to input concussion symptoms as they occur and helps them develop a recovery plan.

The PACE concussion recovery app helps users map out a recovery plan and helps them track their progress. (PACE Concussion )

"If we give people the right information, we get them on the right track right away, then we hopefully will prevent people from having persistent symptoms." said CEO and co-founder Rose Kristiansen.

Information in the app is reviewed by a medical advisory board and was developed with input from neurologists, pediatricians, nurses, therapists and a former professional hockey player, said Kristiansen

Emergency physician Dr. David Rhine co-founded the project with Kristiansen.

Use as tool

"The most effective tools and management are early recognition and the proper stages of early recovery," he said.

"And if those can get off on the right foot then patients can do better and that is what this app is all about."

Rhine said the app is not a substitute for a doctor's visit, but instead should be used as a tool along with care from a physician.

Teri Anne Boucher helped test the app and provided her input from her experience.

She wishes the technology had been available when her son was hit in hockey years ago.

"It would have been a heck of a lot easier. I wouldn't have had to do all that digging on my own."