Mobile application: a potentially effective tool against antimicrobial resistance in Iran

Background: Antimicrobial resistance of bacteria, a growing problem worldwide, has a significant geographic variation in its frequency. The recent reports on antimicrobial resistance from Iran is alarming. Choosing an appropriate antibiotic is an important issue to get the best outcome and prevent antibiotic resistance. Having a proper guideline for prescription of the best antibiotic base on its cost and availability, patients’ condition, and local antibiograms are very essential issue. Mobile Health applications (apps), developed to run on smartphones, can be used to provide this information to help physician to select the best antibiotics based on local data. Objective: For this reason, we searched the different app stores to find the most suitable app to offer the information related to antimicrobial resistance and prescription based on local data. Materials/Patients and Methods: In January 2016, we used the terms antimicrobial resistance and prescription to search the Apple iTunes Store and the Android Google Play Store. Apps were eligible for inclusion if they were focused on and/or included sections on antimicrobial resistance and prescription. Apps were excluded if they were: (1) not focused on antimicrobial prescription, (2) not focused on human (e.g., apps for antimicrobial use in veterinary), (3) solely functioned as a game, (4) developed to sell a product, (5) written in a non-English language, (6) a duplicate, or (7) a ‘lite’ version of another app that was available. Results: Only a few apps were found to address local resistance data, local guidelines, local epidemiology of infections and pathogens, and antimicrobial information. Conclusion: We need a smartphone app to help Iranian clinicians to select the best antibiotics for the patients based on local antimicrobial data in our country.