Southampton docs develop infection app

Doctors at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust have developed a mobile app to help its clinicians treat infections.

The MicroGuide app gives information on common infections and uses algorithms to help clinicians make the right antibiotic choice for the infection they are dealing with.

It was written by pharmacists Dr Keiran Hand and microbiologist Dr Adriana Basarab, based on the hospital’s paper-based guidelines.

The idea of developing a smartphone app came from critical care expert Dr Sanjay Gupta, who told eHealth Insider he wanted a more convenient way to view the hospital's guidelines.

“Each hospital has their own set of guidelines for specific medical issues," he said. "Most of these documents are written as long word documents, converted to pdf, and held on the internal website or as paper documents.

“The idea behind [the app] is to convert a pocket version of this into a portable format. Apps work very well because they are very interactive, which is better than somebody reading a flat document on a smartphone.”

The app was launched last week and has already been downloaded more than 200 times from locations both within and outside the UK. Dr Gupta has described the app as a ‘sat-nav’ for clinicians.

“Most people know how to drive and are familiar with the roads around where they live but use a sat nav for directions in unfamiliar places," he said.

It is common for doctors to use mobile apps at a patient’s bedside, but Dr Gupta said there’s an issue of data reliability.

“Part of the problem is with many apps you don’t know where they originated from or who wrote them.

"There are several out there that seem to have been written by individuals, and I suppose if you know them you can trust in the quality of their work.”

The doctors were able to develop the app thanks to funding from an external, anonymous grant.

Dr Gupta said it’s hoped the app will eventually become self-funding, so it can be updated without the need for additional funding.

Work is already being done on a prototype extension that would enable the app to to handle a number of different guidelines.

It is envisioned the trust will be able to fit different apps within the package and doctors will be able to download whichever is relevant to them.

The MicroGuide app can be bought from iTunes or the Android market for 69p and does not require an internet connection for use.