Student-built website supports healthcare professionals in prescribing inhaled medicines

Asthma and COPD are treated using inhalers, or handheld devices that deliver medication directly to the airways. There are dozens of inhaled medicines, inhaler types and their combinations available. While this variety ensures that a suitable treatment can be tailored to each individual patient’s needs, it also makes prescribing more complicated.

“If one only rarely works with these types of medicines, it can be difficult to determine which medication and inhaler type is best for each patient,” says Heidi Rantala, Specialist in Respiratory Medicine and Allergology and Clinical Instructor at Tampere University, who conceived the idea for the new website.

The student-built website (Inhalaattorit.fi) aims to improve the treatment of patients with asthma or COPD by helping to identify the most appropriate type of inhaler.

The website lists all the inhalers currently available on the Finnish market. The listed medications can be filtered, for example, by drug class, patient age, inspiratory flow rate or coordination ability.  The website also displays an image of each inhaler, helping patients to recognise the device they are currently using. In addition, the website includes links to inhaler-specific instructional videos.

The new website offers significant benefits, as there are hundreds of thousands of people in Finland living with asthma or COPD. A similar database that brings together all the inhaled medicines available on the market, along with images of the inhalers, has not previously been available in Finland. Healthcare professionals, such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists, can use the new database to support prescribing and patient care. 

Motivated by potential societal benefits 

The website was created as part of a Tampere University course titled Software Engineering Project. During this course, students work in project teams, with each completing a commissioned software project from start to finish.

The course enables students to develop practical skills in software implementation while applying and extending the knowledge gained in their earlier studies. It also provides valuable experience of working with real customers. 

“The assignment is a real-world project that requires genuine commitment, since the student teams work with an actual client. It is not only a piece of coursework, as students are responsible for the final product and its development,” says Margarita Nefedova, who served as project manager and senior developer for the website. She studies computer science at Tampere University.

The team responsible for the website consisted of seven students of computer science and information technology. Five worked as junior developers and two as senior developers. They were supported and supervised by their coach, Katriina Vartiainen.

The team set out to create a product that was easy to use, inexpensive to maintain and as practical as possible, while directly addressing the customer's needs.

“I think we achieved our goals to an excellent standard, and we received a great deal of positive feedback,” says Nefedova.

The students felt that their collaboration was highly effective, highlighting clear communication as a key factor in their success. The societal relevance of the project made the work meaningful and increased their motivation. 

“Since it was emphasised to us that this website could be widely used, it definitely brought home the importance of producing a high-quality result,” says Juuso Toivanen, a junior developer who studies information technology.

What the project required the most was time: in total, the team devoted approximately 960 hours to the project.   

Both Nefedova and Toivanen commend the course and value the opportunity to apply their knowledge in practice. They note that they have acquired new skills and improved, for example, their project planning abilities.

“If you are a student in Tampere, this is probably one of the best courses you can take,” says Toivanen.

The Software Engineering Project will be offered again in late August 2026. Companies and associations are welcome to submit project proposals for the course. Read more about submitting a project proposal.