ANSd: A Digital Simplified Neurological Assessment Application to Support Leprosy Care
Abstract
Abstract Purpose : Leprosy (known as Hansen’s disease in Brazil) continues to pose a major public health challenge in several endemic countries. The Simplified Neurological Assessment (from the Portuguese Avalia¸c˜ao Neurol´ogica Simplificada - ANS) is the standard procedure recommended by the Brazilian Ministry of Health to evaluate nerve function in individuals affected by leprosy, and is essential for preventing irreversible disabilities. However, its manual implementation limits data standardization, follow-up, and integration into digital health systems. This study presents the ANSd (Digital Simplified Neurological Assessment, from the Portuguese Avalia¸c˜ao Neurol´ogica Simplificada digital ), a mobile health application designed to support standardized neurological evaluation, improve documentation, and enhance longitudinal monitoring in leprosy care. Methods : The development of ANSd application was conducted as action research, applying Soft Systems Methodology (SSM) through iterative learning cycles with the Global Partnership for Zero Leprosy (GPZL) digital health priorities. The process included domain and requirement modeling, data model design, interface design, and software implementation. Results : ANSd enables digital recording of sensory and motor testing results, aggregates physical disability grading (from Portuguese, Grau de Incapacidade F´ısica - GIF) and the Eye-Hand-Foot (EHF) score, and stores structured records to support longitudinal patient…
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