What if a simple app could save precious minutes in an emergency and even prevent medication errors? That’s exactly what Declan Watters, a paramedic from Donegal, has achieved with his innovative AI-powered tool, Medisnap.
I had the pleasure of speaking with Declan about his journey, from the early days of climbing mountains and taking on adventure challenges together in Donegal, to developing a life-changing tool for healthcare professionals.
The Problem Medisnap Solves
As a paramedic, Declan often faced situations where family members couldn’t provide accurate medical histories or couldn’t identify medications patients were taking. This not only slowed emergency care but sometimes made it difficult to quickly understand a patient’s condition.
Medisnap was created to solve that problem. Using optical character recognition (OCR) and AI, the app scans any medication label or list, identifies the drugs, explains their purpose, flags critical interactions, and even provides an inferred medical history — all in seconds. This information helps paramedics, nurses, and doctors make faster, better-informed decisions when it matters most.
How the AI Works
Declan built Medisnap to control exactly what the AI reads. Unlike systems that pull information from the internet indiscriminately, Medisnap uses a structured, validated database.
The process includes three tiers of checks:
- Dosage and proximity matching – Ensures the medication and dosage make sense.
- Medical context keywords – Confirms the context on the label aligns with the database.
- Database validation – Flags impossible dosages or inconsistencies.
This rigorous system ensures that every result is accurate and reliable, while still being fast and user-friendly. It can even work offline using Tesseract OCR, making it practical in pre-hospital environments where connectivity can be limited.
From Side Project to Global Interest
Medisnap started as a side project for Declan and a friend, built out of curiosity and necessity rather than as a business venture. But word spread quickly. Paramedics, nurses, student nurses, and junior doctors began using it in Ireland, the UK, and even the United States.
Despite being fully bootstrapped, the tool has seen thousands of downloads, proving that a simple, well-designed solution can meet a real need in healthcare. Declan emphasizes that having users actively engage with the app helps train the model and improve its accuracy — making each scan more powerful than the last.
Next Steps: Regulation and Expansion
The next step for Medisnap is regulatory approval from Ireland’s HPRA, which would pave the way for use across the UK, Europe, and eventually the US. Declan’s goal is to partner with government agencies and large healthcare providers to ensure the app is available to those who need it most.
While the team remains small and fully bootstrapped, they’re focusing on long-term impact rather than immediate profit — prioritizing accuracy, safety, and adoption over charging individual users.
AI for Good in Action
Medisnap is a powerful example of AI for good. By solving a very practical problem in healthcare, Declan and his team are improving emergency care, reducing stress for patients and families, and giving medical professionals the tools they need to act quickly.
It’s inspiring to see what a focused idea, powered by AI, can achieve — especially when it starts from real-world experience and a deep understanding of the problem.
Learn More and Connect with Declan
You can find out more about Medisnap, download the app, and connect with Declan here:
medisnap.ie | LinkedIn
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About the Podcast Host
AI and Communications Specialist | Author | Podcaster | International Speaker
Joanne Sweeney is a recognised leader in digital marketing and digital transformation, specialising in the practical application of AI to enhance communication strategies. The founder of Digital Training Institute, Joanne, empowers leaders and communications professionals to leverage AI responsibly and effectively, ensuring transparency, trust, and tangible results.
She completed the Harvard Kennedy School Executive Programme in AI and Public Policy this summer before launching her fourth book AI Playbook, in September. Joanne has also published two editions of Public Sector Marketing Pro, which were preceded by her first title, Social Media Under Investigation Law Enforcement and the Social Web.
Her books have become go-to resources for governments, public sector and policing agencies, as well as marketing and communications professionals, all navigating the challenges of the changing Internet.
Joanne is the host of the AI SIX Podcast, a daily six-minute podcast that provides actionable insights, expert interviews, and practical advice to help professionals navigate the new world of work.
