We propose to develop a Clinical Trials Information System for mobile, low bandwidth, and weakly connected environments. The system will use handheld computers to collect data the patient bedside and conduct interviews in the filed. A two-way wireless network will validate data against a central repository in real time and allow clinicians to respond immediately to anomalies. The first phase of research consists of the following tasks. We will develop a handheld system for clinical data collection that is optimized for small displays. We will implement a protocol for mobile-aware data management using an N-tier network architecture. Finally, we will evaluate the prototype in a clinical setting for speed, accuracy, reliability, acceptability, and generalizability.
The system we are proposing will provide an economical and efficacious tool for both clinical trial data collection at the patient bedside and mobile interviewing in the filed. In addition, the data management library we develop can be marketed as a generalizing user interface toolkit that is optimized for small displays.
