The Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine, Universitas Indonesia (FKUI) and Dr. Cipto Mangunkusumo National Central Public Hospital (RSCM) launched LupusKu application on Monday (8/11). The launch was held online via Zoom and FKUI’s YouTube channel. LupusKu is a mobile application developed by Allergy and Immunology Division of FKUI-RSCM to improve adherence to therapy for children with lupus. This application aims to empower patients through educational programs, recording symptoms, and self-medication.
This application has five main features, which are Catatan Gejala Harian (Daily Symptom Record), PertumbuhanKu (My Growth), PemeriksaanKu (My Examination), PengobatanKu (My Treatment), and Pelajari (Learn). Lupus or odapus is a chronic autoimmune disease that can affect all ages, including children and adolescents. In her presentation on Lupus in children, Dr. Nia Kurniati, Sp.A(K), MSc (the Head of Allergy and Immunology Division FKUI-RSCM), as the first speaker, said that this disease causes the body’s immune system to not work as it should. Antibodies that are supposed to maintain the body’s health instead turn to attack the body causing inflammation or inflammation in various parts of the body such as the skin, joints, blood, and nervous system. “What must be remembered is that Lupus is not contagious and the specific cause is not known until now,” said Dr. Nia.
Dr. Dina (FKUI Allergy and Immunology Specialist) as the second speaker stated that adherence to treatment is important to know the current picture of the patient’s condition. It is necessary to control disease activity to prevent organ damage so that patients can improve their quality of life. Not infrequently there are obstacles in the treatment process such as the habit of patients who do not take medication regularly. Thus, LupusKu application was created for this monitoring purpose. “These things inspired us to make this application so that you and your familiy can recognize what Lupus is like, what the symptoms, or what responses to the medication itself are like,” she said. To use the features in the LupusKu application, users must enter their personal data such as name, date of birth, weight and length of birth, and date of diagnosis. In Catatan Gejala Harian feature, children and parents can do self-record for any complaints they feel. Then this data will be processed by the application to monitor the patient’s condition.
Through this data, the application will display notifications reminding the patient of things that must be done, such as the control schedule to the doctor, or a warning notification to immediately conduct an examination at the Emergency Room. In recording the therapy journey, users can choose PertumbuhanKu, PemeriksaanKu, PengobatanKu, dan Pelajari features. In PertumbuhanKu feature, users can record their weight and height every time they take a measurement.
Furthermore, users can record all examination results in PemeriksaanKu feature. In this feature, users can insert the results of blood, urine, X-ray, heart, bone, and other tests. Users can also fill in the doctor’s examination data themselves or upload photos of examination documents. Furthermore, users can take advantage of PengobatanKu feature to record all needed medication needs. This application even provides an additional feature of reminding medication consumption schedules. “This will make it easier not only for parents and patients, but also for doctors who examine the polyclinic,” said Dina.
Pelajari feature in this application is a form of educational space for users to find the latest information about Lupus. Users also do not need to worry about privacy because the confidentiality of user data is guaranteed. For now, this application is only available on Google Play Store for Android-based devices, and in the future it will be available on App Store and PrimaKu.
Until now Lupus disease can not be cured. The goal of the treatment is simply to achieve a long remission, reduce the level of symptoms, prevent organ damage, and increase the potential for survival. The use of technology such as LupusKu application can help Lupus sufferers to live a normal life or at least approach the normal stage of dealing with their disease.
