Development of a software for mobile devices designed to help with the management of individuals with neglected tropical diseases

Abstract

Classified as neglected tropical diseases, leishmaniasis have received attention because of their expansion in Brazil. The advancement of information and communication technology (ICT) has made it possible to apply tools/softwares to the diagnosis of tropical diseases considering the availability of ICT in areas endemic for these diseases. This study describes the step-by-step development of a smartphone application that would help health professionals during the diagnosis and management of leishmaniasis in endemic areas. For programming and adjustments of the application, a team of specialists from two areas, technology and leishmaniasis, was assembled. The software developed prioritized multimedia features that would run on smartphones with the Android operating system. The application called LeishCare uses Java programming language and, in this project, version 25.2 of Android SDK. LeishCare possesses features for the recording of patient information and for the editing and sharing of medical records. In addition, the application contains image features that serve as a reference for subsequent images and permits to monitor the evolution of lesions, creating a GIF with successive images. LeishCare also allows the calculation of the visceral leishmaniasis severity score and provides updated guides and informative materials. Tools like LeishCare are an interesting approach to facilitate the successful diagnosis, management, and timely treatment of patients with neglected diseases in remote areas.