SmartOTC: Development of Mobile Application for Common Cold Self-Medication
Keywords:
Clinical Decision Support System, Common Cold Therapy, Mobile Health, Over-the-Counter DrugsAbstract
Common cold remains a highly prevalent condition worldwide, contributing significantly to healthcare visits and productivity loss. Despite its widespread impact, there is limited research on the use of mobile health (mHealth) tools integrated with Clinical Decision Support Systems (CDSS) for managing common cold therapy in pharmacy settings. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of the SmartOTC mobile application, integrated with a CDSS, in supporting pharmacists’ decision-making in managing common cold therapy. A quasi-experimental, before-after study was conducted in 10 pharmacies across Purwokerto, Indonesia, involving 10 pharmacists who conducted a total of 50 trials to assess the SmartOTC application’s performance. Pharmacists' decision-making was measured using the uMARS scale, and the data were analyzed using paired samples t-test to compare pre- and post-application scores. The findings demonstrated that the SmartOTC application exhibited high system efficiency, with most tasks completed within 1-3 seconds. Significant improvements in uMARS scores were observed, with all comparisons showing p-values < 0.001, indicating enhanced decision-making and user experience. The findings in this study suggest that the SmartOTC application significantly improves pharmacists' user experience and perceived support in decision-making, indicating its potential as a supportive tool for providing timely and evidence-based OTC therapy recommendations for common cold management. Future research should focus on validating the long-term impact of the application in diverse pharmacy settings and exploring its broader clinical applicability.
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