Introduction: Reporting actual incidents through short messaging systems and telephone calls are tedious, prone to errors and misinterpretations. Developing a mobile application that can be utilized to transmit incident type, location, and images among other details can provide assistance in emergency situations.
Methods: The software development method followed in this study was the prototyping model, where initial versions of the software were shown to the end users for it to be refined to their needs. The target users of the mobile application are a group of 38 Adventist motorcycle riders from Silang, Cavite, Philippines who are trained to be first responders. Interviews with end users and benchmarking on related systems were conducted to meet results.
Results: The end users’ feedback on the developed application can be summarized as having high accuracy, less prone to errors, and ease-of-use. Through Global Positioning Systems available on modern smart phones, reporting a specific incident location can be as accurate as within five meters. The report receiver can view the location in a map. Minimizing text entry and utilizing control elements not only improve reporting time but also reduce chances of committing errors. Further, the application can provide map location and contact information of the emergency facilities near the incident site. Reported information is also centrally stored for references to improve response processes.
Discussion: Once substantial data is gathered from this system, it can be data-mined to predict possible hotspots, peak times and other information on the occurrences of incidents. To implement the system to a larger geographical territory, the proponents suggest employing artificial intelligence which can automatically identify and request help from the nearest possible medical facilities.
Design and Development of an Incident Reporting Mobile Application