We asked MSKpredict founder Dr. Iain Loughran about building a clinical decision support tool for healthcare professionals who treat people with musculoskeletal conditions. Dr. Iain has been a physiotherapist in the NHS in England for 20 years, which is where the idea for MSKpredict came from. He chose Bubble because the no-code platform provided an easy way to develop an MVP for his app without requiring technical expertise.

Tell us about your app and what it does.

MSKpredict is a clinical decision support tool for healthcare professionals who treat people with musculoskeletal conditions (such as back pain and arthritis). It provides interactive tools based on validated national clinical guidelines that help healthcare professionals recognize and classify musculoskeletal conditions with more accuracy and certainty. This helps patients receive a quicker diagnosis, and referrals for x-rays, blood tests, or specialist opinions when required. The app also includes a range of interactive case studies that help healthcare professionals develop their skills and knowledge of guidelines.

How does your app work?

Healthcare professionals can sign up for free to use MSKpredict. They can access interactive content that allows them to enter the findings from the assessment of their patient. The app then compares the findings against the available clinical guidelines. This provides the healthcare professional with evidence-based information to help them make a diagnosis and treatment plan. MSKpredict also links out to the guidelines used, so healthcare professionals can easily view up-to-date clinical guidance.

Tell us a little about your background and how you discovered no-code tools like Bubble.

I have been a physiotherapist in the NHS in England for 20 years, which is where the idea for MSKpredict came from. I wanted to develop this as a web-based app but didn’t have any coding skills, or any funding to pay a developer. As part of the NHS Clinical Entrepreneur Programme, I started to develop some of the content for MSKpredict and increasingly became aware of the no/low code movement. After developing some of the early proof of concept versions on a spreadsheet, I found Bubble through an internet search.

Why did you build your app on Bubble?

Coming from a clinical background, I did not have any technical development skills. Bubble provided me with an easy way to start developing an MVP of the app. Since then I’ve been able to build my development skills across Bubble and other low code platforms. I have used Adalo to create a native app for MSKpredict which uses Bubble through a web view.

What have been your milestones or successes so far?

I recently passed over 500 users of the app.

What are your next steps or future plans for your app?

I have started developing a sister app, OUTCOMEpredict, on Bubble. This allows healthcare professionals to collect outcome measures from patients.

Learn more about MSKpredict: Twitter

About Bubble

Bubble is a leader in the no-code movement. Bubble offers a powerful point-and-click web editor and cloud hosting platform that allows users to build fully customizable web applications and workflows, ranging from simple prototypes to complex marketplaces, SaaS products, and more. Over 500,000 users are currently building and launching businesses on Bubble - many have gone on to participate in top accelerator programs, such as Y Combinator, and even raise $365M in venture funding. Bubble is more than just a product. We are a strong community of builders and entrepreneurs that are united by the belief that everyone should be able to create technology.

Do you want your app featured by Bubble? Reach out to us and tell us about your app. In addition to this series, we sometimes select our best apps to showcase on our website.