Group Pen Respiratory Scorer

Name: Group Pen Respiratory Scorer
Author: University of Wisconsin-Madison

University of Wisconsin-Madison

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Expert-developed at a leading university

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2.99 USD

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App Summary

Group Pen Respiratory Scorer helps farmers and veterinarians systematically evaluate respiratory disease in pens of young livestock by scoring key symptoms like coughing and ocular discharge. The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine originally developed the app as a teaching tool, translating a proven paper-based scoring method into a portable digital format. Used by agricultural professionals in dozens of countries, the tool streamlines on-farm data collection and helps identify which animal groups require follow-up treatment.

App Screenshots

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Detailed Description

Functionality & Mechanism

This digital health assessment tool, developed by the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine, streamlines respiratory disease evaluation in young livestock. The app utilizes a graphical interface to implement the scoring method established by Drs. McGuirk and Ollivett. It facilitates the scoring of animal groups based on four key symptoms: nasal discharge, ocular discharge, ear/head tilt, and coughing. The platform aggregates these scores to classify a group's overall disease risk, flagging pens that meet a specific diagnostic threshold.

Development & Context

The app was developed as part of a suite of digital tools by the Food Animal Production Medicine program at the University of Wisconsin.
The news coverage notes its creation was supported by a UW–Madison Educational Innovation grant, initially serving as a teaching tool for veterinary students.
This tool digitizes a pre-existing, paper-based assessment system to support data-driven decision-making and client education on dairy farms.
As part of a larger app collection, it contributed to nearly 900 downloads across 40 countries as of March 2019.

Intended Use & Scope

This app is designed for dairy farmers, food animal veterinarians, and veterinary students as a field utility for assessing respiratory health in groups of young livestock. Its scope is limited to scoring pens based on observable symptoms to identify high-risk groups for further examination. Information regarding its development is from news coverage, not peer-reviewed efficacy studies.

In the Media

UW Changes Lives: Let your phone do the farming

UW-Madison College of Agricultural and Life Sciences developed smartphone apps including Group Pen Respiratory Scorer to help farmers record and process data directly in barns and on tractors, streamlining data acquisition and enabling on-the-fly diagnoses and decisions. Associate Dean William Barker states that "I worry that small farms in particular might get left behind or priced out of the revolution of digital agriculture," explaining why these apps are valuable for powering decision-making during challenging times for food production systems. Most apps are available for both Apple iOS and Android devices, with some offering Spanish language support.

WiscRead article

Tablet Technology Enhances Dairy Farming, Education

The University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine's Food Animal Production Medicine program developed Group Pen Respiratory Scorer as one of eight iPad applications to help meet the needs of today's dairy farmers, translating proven pen-and-paper systems into portable digital formats. "These are tools that can be used to make evaluating different aspects of dairy farming much easier," says Nigel Cook, professor and chair in the Department of Medical Sciences. The apps are available in the iTunes store and provide step-by-step instructions for assessing various aspects of dairy operations including calf respiratory health.

WiscRead article