"Smart Equine Medications" is an innovative mobile application conceived and developed as a group project for the "Digital Transformation in Healthcare" course in 2023. Our application targets equine veterinarians who face the daily challenge of ensuring accurate dosing and treatment plans during stable visits, often under time constraints and without the luxury of on-site documentation. Recognizing the potential for errors and the need for clarity in treatment instructions, our team has created a solution that not only improves the accuracy of medication dosages but also facilitates clear communication between veterinarians and horse owners. Our dedication to enhancing patient care through digital innovation is at the heart of this project, and we are committed to supporting veterinarians in their mission to provide exceptional healthcare to horses.
The life of an equine veterinarian is a constant battle between providing excellent care and managing a hectic schedule. With most appointments taking place directly at the stables, there is usually no chance to provide printed treatment plans to the owner. As a result, instructions for medication are often relayed verbally. Unfortunately, this lack of on-site documentation can leave horse owners unsure of crucial treatment details such as which medication to administer, the correct dosage, and the frequency of treatment. This often leads to increased administrative work because the owners call the veterinarian to enquire about the correct administration.
"Smart Equine Medications" is the veterinarian's companion for ease and accuracy in a hectic day. It's deliberately uncluttered and kept simple, to provide the veterinarian with exactly what he needs in day-to-day life. The built-in dosage calculator, which factors in the horse's weight, the medication dosage as well as the indication for the application makes sure the horse receives the correct dose, while the creating and sharing of treatment plan, which is straightforward, can provide the horse owners with more clarity regarding the treatment. It’s our way of adding a little more calm to the daily hustle — clear, simple, and reliable.
- Medication Calculator: Automates dosage calculations, tailored to each horse's unique profile.
- Treatment Plan: Allows veterinarians to create and share Treatment Plans with Horse Owners.
- Information & Cautionary Warnings: Provides the veterinarian with important information regarding the safety of application.
- Medication Database: A comprehensive database of medications, their uses, side effects, and contraindications.
| Names | Emails |
|---|---|
| Adrian Altermatt | [email protected] |
| Selina Hodel | [email protected] |
| Sarah Meyer | [email protected] |
| Shathvika Karunakaran | [email protected] |
Following is a list summarizing the main technologies and libraries incorporated into the application, each contributing to the functionality and performance of "Smart Equine Medications."
- Flutter: Open-source UI software development kit by Google for building natively compiled applications for mobile, web, and desktop from a single codebase.
- SQLite: A C-language library that implements a small, fast, self-contained, high-reliability, full-featured, SQL database engine.
- Dart: The programming language used for Flutter development, optimized for building UIs and designed to be easy to write and understand.
- Cupertino Icons: A set of iOS-style icons provided as a Flutter package.
- csv: A library for encoding and decoding CSV data.
- sqlite3_flutter_libs: Flutter plugins for SQLite, providing support for using SQLite APIs in Flutter apps.
- path: A comprehensive, cross-platform path manipulation library for Dart.
- sqflite: Flutter plugin for SQLite, a persistent database for storing and retrieving data for Flutter applications.
- sqflite_common_ffi: The FFI (Foreign Function Interface) plugin for sqflite, allowing Dart code to call C APIs.
- pdf: A library for creating and modifying PDF files in Dart.
- printing: A plugin for Flutter to support printing and generating PDF documents.
- open_file: A plugin for Flutter to open a file in another application with the appropriate format, such as PDF viewers.
- path_provider: A Flutter plugin for finding commonly used locations on the filesystem.
- loading_indicator: A Flutter plugin for displaying loading indicators in the app while waiting for data processing.
Our team's approach to developing this project was structured around the DECIDE-DISCUSS-DELIVER framework. This methodology guided us through every stage, from idea conception to execution and final delivery.
The start of our project was rooted in the professional experiences of Sarah from her professional life as an equine veterinarian. She observed a notable gap in the Swiss equine veterinary field: the lack of a specialized mobile application for managing equine medications. This gap was particularly pronounced due to the variations in medication dosages and concentrations between Swiss standards and those prevalent in UK and US references, which make up most of the information to be found online. Recognizing this issue, Sarah proposed the development of an application that would not only offer accurate, specific pharmaceutical information for compounds available in Switzerland but also support veterinarians in creating and managing treatment plans for horses.
Due to our diverse expertise and perspectives, our discussions were held transdisciplinary:
- Sarah brought insights from her veterinary background, ensuring the application's relevance and practicality.
- Adrian contributed his extensive programming knowledge, turning concepts into functional code.
- Selina took charge of data collection and database management, a cornerstone of the app's functionality.
- Shathvika spearheaded the marketing strategy, developing the promotional video and presentation.
Crucially, all team members actively participated in the application's programming, fostering a collaborative, transdisciplinary and inclusive development environment.
Our presentation held by all team members on 6th of December 2023 will feature our promotional video, a demonstration of our app "Smart Equine Medication" as well as an overview over the development process and an outlook on the future of this project.
- CliniPharm: Database for Veterinary Medications in Switzerland https://www.vetpharm.uzh.ch/search/index.htm#gsc.tab=0&gsc.q=&gsc.sort=
- FEI: Database for banned substances & controlled medication substances (doping) http://prohibitedsubstancesdatabase.feicleansport.org/
- List of Detection Times: /docs/SVPS_Detection_Times.pdf
- Set up programming environment by: 06.10.23, Responsibility: everyone
- Programming: App base by: 06.10.23, Responsibility: Adrian
- MVP and Database Base Model by: 06.10.23, Responsibility: Sarah
- Small data sample by: 15.10.23, Responsibility: Sarah
- Programming: Dosage calculator by: 22.10.23, Responsibility: Adrian
- Create ERM by: 29.10.23, Responsibility: Selina
- Create database by: 30.10.23, Responsibility: Selina
- Data collection by: 12.11.23, Responsibility: Selina
- Populate database by: 13.11.23, Responsibility: Selina
- Database completion by: 14.11.23, Responsibility: Selina
- Programming: Text in Info and Warning by: 16.11.23, Responsibility: Selina, Shathvika, Adrian
- Programming: Treatment plan by: 16.11.23, Responsibility: Sarah
- Programming: Bug fixes and fine-tuning by: 29.11.23, Responsibility: Adrian, Selina, Sarah
- Video by: 29.11.23, Responsibility: Shathvika
- Prepare presentation by: 29.11.23, Responsibility: Shathvika
- Programming: completion by: 30.11.23, Responsibility: everyone
- Buffer time 30.11.23 - 05.12.23
- Presentation 06.12.23 06.12.23
- 25.11. Video Shoot ✅
- 30.11. Programming finished, video and presentation ready ✅
- 06.12. Presentation
- Functionality: The main screen serves as a dashboard listing various equine medications. Users can select a medication to view details, dosage calculations, and treatment plans.
- Features:
- Numerically ordered medication list for easy reference.
- Search functionality to quickly find specific medications.
- Quick access to detailed information for each medication.
- Tabs:
- Calculator: To calculate the dosage based on the horse's weight and the drug concentration.
- Info: For detailed information on the medication.
- Warnings: For safety warnings and contraindications.
- Features:
- Dosage calculation formula:
Weight of Horse * Dose Rate = amount of drug to give divided by the Concentration (mg/ml or mg/pill or paste). - Input fields for Weight (kg) and Dose Rate (mg/kg). The field for Dose Rate by default features the suggested rate from the database, can however be manually adjusted by the veterinarian if needed.
- Support for different units (IE/ml, mg/tablet, mg/g, mg/mg, mio IE/ml)
- 'Treatment Plan' button to proceed with treatment documentation or scheduling.
- Dosage calculation formula:
- Functionality: Allows users to calculate the required dose and volume of medication based on specific treatment indications. The user can choose from predefined indications, which will automatically adjust treatment dose, application and frequency.
- Functionality: This screen allows the creation of a customized treatment plan. Users can input the medication frequency and treatment duration.
- Features:
- Input field for the horse's name.
- Dropdown menu to select the frequency of medication administration.
- Input field for setting the number of days for the treatment course. Defaults to seven when left empty.
- 'Create PDF' button to generate a shareable treatment plan.
- Functionality: Provides a preview of the treatment plan in PDF format, including detailed dosage information and a calendar created from the frequency and treatments days for medication tracking. This widget updates automatically when inputs are changed.
- Features:
- Displays dosage information, such as the number of times medication should be administered per day and the treatment duration.
- Shows the total dosage for an animal of a specific weight and the required volume of medication.
- Includes a calendar view for monitoring the treatment schedule.
- Functionality: Offers a final review of the PDF treatment plan before saving or printing. This feature allows veterinarians to seamlessly share the treatment plan with the horse owners, for example via text message or e-mail.
- Features:
- Detailed treatment plan overview, including the horse's name and specific treatment instructions.
- A clear calendar layout indicating the medication administration times.
- Print and share functionality, with paper size selection for the PDF document.
- Functionality: Presents important information on the medication that, while potentially not immediately clinically relevant, needs to be quickly accessible.
- Features:
- Mechanism of Action: Features a short explanation of the mechanism by which the medication is working.
- Pharmacokinetics: Provides an overview over the most impotant pharmacokinetic factors like absorption, distribution, metabolisation, excretion and toxicity.
- Functionality: Provides the veterinarian with important cautionary information.
- Features:
- Side Effects: Lists possible side effects and their mechanisms of treatment with this drug.
- Adverse Reactions: Lists potential major adverse events due to treatment.
- Drug Interactions: Lists the known drug interactions.
The following prerequisites are necessary to install and run our mobile application:
- Git installed on the system
- Flutter SDK installed. Visit the Flutter installation guide for details.
- A mobile device with USB debugging enabled or an emulator for iOS or Android set up on the PC.
- Clone the Repository:
Open the terminal or command prompt and run the following command to clone the project repository from GitLab:
git clone https://gitlab.fhnw.ch/dth/2023/smart-animal-solution/smart-equine-medications.git - Navigate to the Project Directory:
Change into the project directory using:
cd <PROJECT_DIRECTORY>. - Prepare the Device or Emulator: If using a physical device, connect it to your computer via a USB cable and ensure USB debugging is enabled. If using an emulator, ensure it is running on your PC.
- Run the Application:
In the terminal or command prompt, execute the following command to run the application:
flutter run --releaseThis command builds the application in release mode and runs it on the connected device or emulator.
If you encounter any issues during the installation, please check the following:
- Ensure the Flutter SDK is properly installed and configured.
- Check that your device or emulator is correctly set up and recognized by your development environment.
- Review the Flutter documentation for any specific setup or run commands related to your development setup.
For further assistance, feel free to contact our team.