| dc.description.abstract | Antibiotic stewardship programs have become essential in dealing with the threat of antibiotic resistance. These programs aim to improve antibiotic prescribing practices to reduce unnecessary antibiotic use and also slow the emergence of resistance. This resistance is responsible for an estimated 700,000 deaths annually, a number projected to rise to 10 million by 2050 if no action is taken. This project focuses on developing a digital application to present antibiotic treatment guidelines effectively, leveraging state-of-the-art IT solutions to enhance accessibility and usability for clinicians.
The project focused on developing a digital application based on comprehensive guidelines for treatment with antibiotics provided by Dr. Håkan Hanberger from the University of Linköping, specifically designed for use in both emergency and intensive care settings in Östergötland, Sweden. To inform the development process and understand the elements driving their popularity, four major applications were also analyzed to identify key requirements and best practices. Valuable insights were provided from the user review analysis. Users offered both general and specific feedback that could then be systematically categorized into functional and non-functional requirements, including those that were aligned with ISO/IEC 25010:2011 standards.
The development process followed a structured design science methodology, incorporating iterative cycles of prototyping, user testing, and feedback implementation. Key development tools used in the project included Figma for UI/UX design, React and React Native for front-end development, additionally RStudio for statistical computing and textual analysis. Each iteration refined the prototype based on feedback from expert interviews, user reviews, and usability testing using the System Usability Scale (SUS).
The resulting high-fidelity prototype effectively presents well-structured expert knowledge on antibiotic treatment, thereby supporting real-time decision-making in clinical settings. The application categorizes content into sections for acute and common infections, ensuring quick and intuitive access to relevant information. The development process involved four iterations, incorporating evaluations through expert interviews, user testing, and the System Usability Scale (SUS), culminating in a final SUS score of 75.83, which is considered "good" usability. Feedback was obtained from experienced clinicians and they expressed confidence in the application's utility for patient treatment. They particularly appreciated functionalities such as the checklist and penicillin-allergy which serve as independent resources for consulting on antibiotic treatment decisions.
Future efforts should focus on additional iterations, feature enhancements, and ongoing maintenance to keep the application current and valuable for clinicians. Further development should involve linking the application to a database managed by the authority overseeing the guidelines, enabling swift and efficient updates to the application's content.
This project highlights the potential of IT solutions to enhance antibiotic stewardship, that can be adapted for similar initiatives globally. | |
