Where does the Pig Health Platform stand today?

The Pig Health Info System (PHIS) was launched a year ago and monitors the health of Swiss pigs. 40 veterinary practices have now used the app and recorded more than 2,000 reports. The researchers take stock of the roll-out phase and practical experience here.

PHIS has provided a uniform and standardised method for recording health data directly in livestock for a year now. Previously, the limited availability and lack of standardisation of such health data made it difficult to analyse and use it for efficient health monitoring. The availability of such data is crucial in order to recognise a change in animal health at an early stage and, if necessary, to take prompt measures to protect animal health in pig herds throughout the country. Looking back on the past year, the PHIS has brought significant benefits for data collection, analysis and general herd management in Swiss pig farms.

Data quality and security

A key objective of the PHIS is to improve the quality of data collected during herd surveys, but with a very strong focus on data protection and data security. Data quality is maintained at the highest level through the use of standardised questionnaires and the integration of standardised lists of findings, symptoms and diseases.

Data security is a top priority. It is ensured that all data recorded in the PHIS is stored securely and protected against unauthorised access. This protection is extremely important in order to gain the trust of animal keepers and veterinarians alike. They must be able to rest assured that their data is protected and treated confidentially at all times. Since January 2024, the PHIS has been operated by the association “Nutztiergesundheit Schweiz” (NTGS) as a neutral body, which further strengthens its independence from individual institutions.

Furthermore, the inclusion of laboratories in the PHIS ecosystem has optimised data transfer processes, reduced the time and effort required for data entry and thus improved overall efficiency.

Clarification of stock problems through section diagnostics

The Federal Food Safety and Veterinary Office (FSVO ) promotes dissection diagnostics as part of the PathoPig and ZoE-BTA programmes (“targeted sampling by the herd veterinarian”) to clarify herd problems in Swiss pig herds with the aim of improving animal health and ensuring safe food.

Since the rollout of the PHIS in 2023, the use of the PHIS has been mandatory in these programmes. This ensures that all participating veterinarians adhere to the same high standards of data collection. These reports are highly standardised and contain information such as the medical history of the animals examined, post-mortem findings and the final diagnosis.

Success and user acceptance

After one year, the statistics give us an insight into three important aspects: Firstly, who is using the app, secondly, how the app is being used and thirdly, what results have been achieved as a result. PHIS was used by over 40 veterinary practices in Switzerland and Liechtenstein during the first year. Most of these practices are located in the cantons of Bern and Lucerne, which are known for their high density of pigs. In the first twelve months, more than 2,000 reports were generated as part of over 600 herd examinations.

Two user groups have emerged:

• One group that uses the app rather infrequently, for example in connection with a PathoPig examination, and only enters mandatory information.
• The second group are the so-called “power users”, who have now integrated the PHIS app into their daily workflow.

The data collected provides valuable insights into the health of the pig herds. Initial analyses show frequently occurring diseases and thus enable veterinarians and livestock farmers to raise awareness. In the event of a deterioration in animal health of national importance, early intervention would be possible in order to minimise the resulting damage and also promote animal welfare.

User feedback and continuous improvement

Continuous improvement is a central principle in the development of the PHIS. Based on user feedback, minor and major updates and improvements are made on an ongoing basis. These include improved user interfaces, additional data fields and enhanced reporting functions. These updates ensure that the PHIS remains relevant and effective, and can fulfil the evolving needs of veterinarians in the field.

Future directions

Looking ahead, the PHIS aims to expand its capabilities and reach. One of the next important milestones will be the merger of the PHIS with a new IT system, the Cattle Health Info System (CHIS), to form an Animal Health Info System (AHIS). This system, also developed in co-operation between the Vetsuisse Faculty and BFH, is designed not only for herds but also for “patient” animals such as cows. The focus here is on the health of individual animals as well as entire herds. The integration of the patient functionality required an extensive expansion of the application to ensure optimum user-friendliness. Synergies with PHIS were optimally utilised throughout the entire development period in order to soon be able to provide a standardised platform for various livestock species.

Another functionality under development is an offline mode that will allow the app to be used in remote areas without an internet connection. Research in this context is particularly important, as it is not common for mobile apps to be able to adapt their behaviour depending on the presence or absence of an internet connection. Other research topics concern data analysis and dashboards, which will give interested parties access to anonymised analysis results and thus provide an overview of Swiss animal health. These improvements will make the PHIS even more accessible and useful to a wider user base.

Due to its good suitability for the collection of health data and the high level of data security and data protection, there are already a number of considerations to use the core platform of the PHIS or its successor AHIS as a platform for building additional functionalities. This would bring considerable advantages in terms of time-to-market for new functions and general administration. In the best case scenario, with interfaces to other systems such as practice management systems, this could help to further harmonise the data collected and ensure its secure storage.

Conclusion

The first year after the launch of PHIS was characterised by continuous further development of the system to support herd management in Swiss pig herds. The continuous increase in acceptance of the application, the improved data quality and the role of the PHIS in programmes such as PathoPig and ZoE-BTA have demonstrated the value of the PHIS for the veterinary profession. In addition, the understanding of app users has continuously improved over the course of the first year of operation and the further development of the system can now be even more targeted to their needs. As the PHIS continues to evolve and expand, it is also playing an increasingly important role in monitoring and promoting animal health in Switzerland.

The BFH“Pig Health Info System” project

The PHIS is an integrated IT system consisting of a central data platform and four applications that have been developed to fulfil the different needs of veterinary practices, veterinarians, laboratories and laboratory staff. The centrepiece is a mobile app, which is available for both Android and iOS and enables veterinarians to document their findings in detail using various forms. This can be supplemented with images and videos to improve clarity and completeness. The other three applications are used to enter laboratory results and manage practice and laboratory data, and facilitate data exchange between the various stakeholders.

The PHIS was developed in a co-operation between the Vetsuisse Faculty of the Universities of Bern and Zurich, and the Department of Technology and Information Technology of the Bern University of Applied Sciences, and aims to improve health management in pig herds in Switzerland. You can find more information here.