31/12/2024
Infectious diseases have been, and continue to be, a field without a regulated specialty within the scope of Spanish public health. Their study and management require constant and updated training, especially in a context where recent pandemics have highlighted the need for ongoing preparedness among healthcare professionals.
In this scenario, digital education aims to offer a solution to improve learning and knowledge retention. With this approach, ToREIMC was born—a mobile application developed by CoREIMC, the Commission of Residents and Young Specialists of the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC), in collaboration with GooApps®. This platform presents an innovative way to train in infectious diseases. The application adopts a playful and participative perspective, using gamification as a driving force to motivate learning.
In this article, we will explore how the collaboration between ToREIMC and GooApps® managed to overcome initial challenges, how the app’s technological development process unfolded, and the results achieved. Additionally, we will examine how this collaboration has been warmly received within the healthcare sector.
Presentation by Andrés Blanco at the AI & mHealth Challenge by GooApps®
ToREIMC is a mobile application that offers an innovative way to learn about infectious diseases. With a gamification-based approach, the platform turns learning into a dynamic and entertaining experience. Users, mainly medical residents and young specialists, participate in an annual remote tournament where they answer questions based on real clinical cases. Each answer includes detailed explanations and additional resources, ensuring a comprehensive and practical learning experience.
The initiative for ToREIMC originated from Andrés Blanco Di Matteo, a specialist in Internal Medicine at the University Hospital of Navarra. His main motivation was to provide a solution to an existing issue: in Spain, there is no specific medical specialty for infectious diseases. This results in professionals unable to train in a regulated specialty, which impacts patient care. “We wanted to offer a solution to fill this gap, making it accessible and appealing to the younger generation,” explains Andrés.
The project is supported by the Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) and its Commission of Residents and Young Specialists (CoREIMC). These organizations endorse the academic content because they have driven its development and dissemination. Additionally, ToREIMC helps strengthen ties among professionals in the sector, fostering a sense of community and encouraging collaboration among specialists across Spain and even Latin America.
With a competitive structure based on gamification and carefully developed resources, ToREIMC has become an educational tool of reference for healthcare professionals seeking to enhance their knowledge of infectious diseases.
Development of Lo-Fi wireframes by GooApps®
In Spain, infectious diseases lack a recognized medical specialty, making it the only country in the European Union with this situation. This gap affects both the training of professionals and the quality of care patients receive. According to Andrés Blanco, this lack of regulation leads to unequal learning experiences, which depend heavily on the specific training of each physician.
The Spanish Society of Infectious Diseases and Clinical Microbiology (SEIMC) has worked for years to address this gap through educational programs and training activities. However, it was noted that these resources were not effectively reaching the new generations of doctors, who demanded tools that were more accessible and tailored to their needs.
Traditional learning methods in the medical field, primarily based on theoretical content and conventional approaches, face a growing challenge: maintaining students’ attention. In an environment where time is limited and demands are high, there is a need for approaches that enable efficient and practical learning.
Moreover, young healthcare professionals seek resources that integrate learning with clinical practice, offering knowledge applicable to their daily work. In this sense, educational platforms must adapt and provide solutions that combine high-quality content with interactive experiences.
Gamification has established itself as one of the most promising methodologies in education. Integrating game elements into learning enhances the user experience and increases information retention. Studies conducted in this field demonstrate that learning through gamification helps retain knowledge more quickly and effectively.
In this context, ToREIMC embraces a playful approach that makes learning a motivating experience. Users respond to clinical cases, participating in a competitive environment with rankings and achievements that boost their engagement and encourage them to continue learning week after week. This methodology has proven effective, with high participation rates and widespread acceptance within the medical community.
Transition from Lo-Fi to Hi-Fi wireframes by GooApps®
When CoREIMC decided to move forward with the development of ToREIMC, they sought a company capable of understanding the healthcare sector’s needs and delivering a tailored technological solution. After evaluating several options, GooApps® stood out for its quick response, customer-focused approach, and clear, structured methodology. According to Andrés Blanco, one of the decisive factors was the “feeling” generated from the first interaction: “They made me feel they wanted to help, and that was fundamental in making the decision.”
Additionally, GooApps®’ ability to clearly explain each phase of the process and define expectations for both the client and the technical team was crucial. This organized approach allowed CoREIMC to feel supported throughout the development process.
From the start of the project, GooApps® implemented its sprint-based working methodology, delivering small, partial iterations that allowed for dynamic and structured progress. Each sprint provided specific deliverables, enabling continuous feedback and real-time adjustments. This way of working proved particularly effective in meeting the tight deadlines required by the project.
Clear planning and constant communication between GooApps® and CoREIMC were key to ensuring the development progressed smoothly. This collaboration overcame any challenges that arose and maintained focus on the final objective.
Despite being an ambitious project, GooApps® completed the development of ToREIMC in a record time of 3-4 months, meeting the established deadlines and exceeding CoREIMC’s expectations. This intense but carefully planned pace of work resulted in a functional application ready for launch within a very short time frame. Andrés Blanco highlighted that, although the process was demanding, the experience was enriching and provided valuable lessons on how to transform an idea into a real digital solution.
ToREIMC is an application designed to combine medical learning about infectious diseases with fun. The app focuses on real clinical cases, which users must solve by answering multiple-choice questions. Each response is accompanied by a detailed explanation that includes justifications, distractor analysis, and recommendations for further knowledge enhancement.
To maintain interest and encourage participation, the application incorporates a gamification system. Users accumulate points based on their answers and compete in a weekly ranking, either individually or in teams representing their hospitals. This mechanism promotes constant learning and creates a healthy competitive environment that motivates participants.
The clinical cases presented in ToREIMC are based on real situations that doctors may encounter in their daily practice. For example, one case challenged users to diagnose a patient with brown-colored urine. The app provided an image of the case and asked users to identify the cause and the steps to follow. After responding, participants received a detailed explanation of the correct diagnosis, prepared by subject matter experts.
This practical approach helps users connect theory with real-world situations, facilitating the learning of complex concepts in a contextualized and easy-to-remember way. Additionally, it enables doctors to anticipate similar clinical problems in their daily practice.
ToREIMC addresses a significant need in medical training, especially in Spain, where infectious diseases do not have a recognized specialty. The app enhances users’ technical knowledge, strengthening skills such as clinical decision-making and prioritizing diagnoses.
For young doctors, the platform represents a unique opportunity for interactive learning. By tackling clinical cases in a dynamic environment, users develop competencies in an engaging and effective manner. This approach perfectly aligns with the training needs of new generations, who seek practical and accessible resources to grow as professionals.
Since its launch, ToREIMC has far exceeded its creators’ expectations. In the first four months, the application reached over 1.300 users—a figure initially projected for the first year. This number includes both SEIMC members and external professionals interested in infectious diseases.
One of the most notable aspects is the level of user engagement. 70% of doctors regularly respond to the clinical case questions posed in the app, a rate far above the 20% average seen in similar platforms. This participation reflects the interest and utility that ToREIMC offers the medical community.
ToREIMC has established itself as a reference tool within SEIMC, reinforcing its commitment to education and attracting new members to the scientific society. Additionally, its impact has extended beyond the internal scope, reaching healthcare professionals who were not yet part of SEIMC, thereby expanding its reach and visibility within the sector.
The app’s success has also helped demonstrate the importance of infectious diseases as a field of study. This has strengthened CoREIMC’s message about the need to recognize this medical specialty in Spain, aligning it with the European standard.
One of the unexpected achievements of ToREIMC has been its expansion to Latin America, where the app has begun to gain traction thanks to its educational offering. This growth has opened new opportunities to collaborate with professionals and scientific societies across the Americas, increasing the platform’s global impact.
Looking ahead, the team at CoREIMC and GooApps® plans to consolidate this expansion and explore new features for the application. Proposed ideas include incorporating more clinical cases tailored to local contexts and improving user interaction within the platform. Additionally, they aim to continue strengthening the medical community by fostering collaboration and knowledge exchange among specialists from different countries.
GooApps® development team
The development of ToREIMC stood out for the personalized approach and commitment of the GooApps® team. From the very first contact, the team built trust and demonstrated a strong interest in deeply understanding the project’s needs. Andrés Blanco highlighted: “The GooApps® team I encountered from the first minute has been delightful. Vinni, Carol, Roberto—they have been incredible. Even Beatriz, who handled the invoicing, was also lovely. I am really happy with all of them.”
The GooApps® team employed a clear, dynamic, and organized methodology to overcome the project’s challenges. Andrés Blanco especially appreciated the clarity in communication and the structuring of processes: “They made me feel they wanted to help, and that was fundamentally why I recommended this company to my colleagues at CoREIMC over others.”
GooApps® did not limit itself to implementing the technical aspects of the project. It provided continuous support during development and after the launch. Andrés Blanco particularly valued their professionalism and dedication, even in situations with budget constraints: “The satisfaction with the project’s development has been total. I would have liked it to be cheaper, like everyone else, and I would have liked to keep having the budget. However, I believe that is not something that depends on GooApps®, but rather that resources are limited, and innovation institutions tend to be very cautious about funding. But I think we are making a paradigm shift. Increasingly, with technologies like artificial intelligence, solutions that work are seen by institutions as worthy investments because they are more tangible.”
Andrés Blanco repeatedly emphasized that the GooApps® team stood out for its professionalism, flexibility, and ability to make him feel comfortable: “Everything was very fast because I needed the solution as soon as possible. So we agreed on a deadline, and the truth is that GooApps® taught me about sprints, which are like phases where they deliver iterations, and I suppose they work faster to streamline the project. My perception was that the entire project was a constant race. Once we had the idea clear, the whole product defined, and the roadmap outlined, everything moved quite quickly during the implementation phase. I think we had everything implemented in three or four months. It was very intense but also enriching, and I learned many things. I always found a team willing to work with me, offering solutions and maintaining a positive attitude.”
ToREIMC has proven to be an effective tool for addressing educational challenges in the field of infectious diseases. In a context where the lack of a recognized specialty has created disparities in training, the app has successfully unified knowledge and provided an accessible platform. Andrés Blanco expressed his satisfaction with the project: “ToREIMC is an application primarily focused on people dedicated to infectious diseases and clinical microbiology. We are bringing value to our society, increasing its visibility, and gaining new members. We are very happy with what we are achieving. A figure of 1,300 users might seem modest in the business world, but for a scientific society and a niche area, it is a number we are very proud of.”
Beyond participation numbers, the success of ToREIMC is measured by its ability to generate interest and promote practical learning, creating a community of more skilled and connected professionals.
However, Andrés underscores that ToREIMC arises from a reality—the absence of a recognized specialty for infectious diseases in Spain. The ultimate goal is to establish this specialty through the MIR system, aligning with the rest of Europe.
The development of ToREIMC reaffirms the importance of integrating technology into medical training. Gamification, remote access, and interactive dynamics have proven to be valuable tools for capturing users’ attention and improving knowledge retention. Andrés Blanco reflected on this shift in education: “Gamification is essential for maintaining attention and making the effort less noticeable—for making learning more enjoyable.”
This experience also highlights the need for cross-sector collaboration, where technology companies play a key role in translating medical ideas into effective digital solutions.
The success of ToREIMC invites reflection on how this model can be applied to other areas of medicine. The combination of interactive learning and technology opens new possibilities for improving training in medical specialties and other health-related fields.
We encourage other medical sectors to explore similar solutions that optimize learning and enhance the quality of care.
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