Repository logo

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne

Infoscience

  • English
  • French
Log In
  1. Home
  2. Academic and Research Output
  3. Journal articles
  4. medAL-suite: A software solution for creating and deploying complex clinical decision support algorithms
 
research article

medAL-suite: A software solution for creating and deploying complex clinical decision support algorithms

Cobuccio, Ludovico
•
Faivre, Vincent
•
Tan, Rainer
Show more
July 4, 2025
BMC Medical Informatics and Decision Making

Sub-optimal healthcare quality in low-resource settings is attributed in part to poor adherence to clinical guidelines. Clinical decision support systems (CDSS) help to integrate guideline-based algorithms into logical workflows and improve adherence to evidence-based recommendations, and hence quality of care. However, the process of translating paper-based guidelines into electronic algorithmic formats is often complex, inefficient, expensive, and error-prone due to reliance on advanced software development skills and clinical knowledge. In response to these challenges, we developed open-source software called the Medical Algorithm Suite (medAL-suite), consisting of four components, with a primary goal of increasing efficiency, accuracy, and transparency of CDSS creation by giving experienced clinicians, rather than software developers, greater control over the process. At the heart of the software suite is the medAL-creator that allows clinicians to design algorithms using a code-free drag-and-drop interface. Algorithms are subsequently automatically deployed in medAL-reader to service level clinicians in health facilities. CDSS implementers use medAL-data and medAL-hub to manage configuration, versioning, and deployment. Since its development, the medAL-suite has been used to digitalize complex primary care guidelines and deployed in large-scale clinical studies in Tanzania, Rwanda, Kenya, Senegal, and India, leading to notable outcomes such as the reduction of inappropriate antibiotic prescriptions and improvement in care quality. Over 300,000 pediatric outpatient consultations have been completed in Rwanda and Tanzania to date using the digital algorithm. The medAL-suite focused on democratized development, process-centric design, point-of-care utility, touch-screen interface, low cost, and low power consumption to contribute to sustainable digital systems in low-resource settings. Important future developments and adaptations as the software evolves should emphasize interoperability and scalability, primarily via integrating CDSS functionality into electronic medical records for a streamlined user experience that supports improved service quality at the point-of-care. Not applicable.

  • Files
  • Details
  • Metrics
Loading...
Thumbnail Image
Name

10.1186_s12911-025-03077-6.pdf

Type

Main Document

Version

http://purl.org/coar/version/c_970fb48d4fbd8a85

Access type

openaccess

License Condition

CC BY-NC-ND

Size

2.05 MB

Format

Adobe PDF

Checksum (MD5)

c9c66f70564ef0673eb9b739cd5ee3e6

Logo EPFL, École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
  • Contact
  • infoscience@epfl.ch

  • Follow us on Facebook
  • Follow us on Instagram
  • Follow us on LinkedIn
  • Follow us on X
  • Follow us on Youtube
AccessibilityLegal noticePrivacy policyCookie settingsEnd User AgreementGet helpFeedback

Infoscience is a service managed and provided by the Library and IT Services of EPFL. © EPFL, tous droits réservés