A Mobile-Based Clinical Decision Support Model Design for Remote Snakebite Management Consultation in Malaysia

Snakebite management is crucial; inappropriate treatment may lead to death, morbidity, or unnecessary surgical interventions. In Malaysia, the establishment of a Remote Envenomation Consultation Service (RECS) by a group of emergency physicians and clinical toxicologists is for the purpose of assisting healthcare providers in clinics and hospitals to formulate diagnosis and management plan for cases related to envenomation or poisoning from land and marine animals. However, the current method of consultation via phone calls and short messaging system can cause difficulties in analysing patient data and limiting the communication between healthcare providers and experts. This paper proposed a mobile-based clinical decision support model named MyRECS for managing snakebite cases in Malaysia. Furthermore, the mobile application embedded a rules-based model for identifying snake species to obtain an accurate diagnosis. The design includes the workflow of the application, the structure of data entry, the formulation of diagnosis, and the consultation of treatment plans at every stage of clinical management.