Antibiotic resistance has become a significant issue in modern medicine and an immediate threat to global public health.
When incorrectly or over prescribed, antibiotics become ineffective in treating life-threatening infectious bacteria and diseases. E-medicine prescribing resources provide doctors with evidence-based antibiotic guidelines, but are slow to access or difficult to follow when prescribing.
The DHW Lab worked in collaboration with pharmacists and researchers from Auckland DHB and the University of Auckland to develop a smartphone app that provides clinicians with quick and simple access to real-time antibiotic guidelines.
Doctors enter patient symptoms into Script, which formulates the recommended antibiotic treatment plan. Any drug reactions or conflicts a patient may have are immediately highlighted to minimise prescription error. Originally intended for junior doctors, Script supports continued learning of the evidence-based antibiotic guidelines, and helps increase confidence when prescribing antibiotics. This should increase rates of correct prescription and ultimately lead to better patient outcomes.
The Script app was a finalist at 2016 Best Design Awards. Since launching mid-2016, the app has grown in popularity and is now used widely in the emergency department at Auckland DHB.
