The use of computers and Internet has greatly improved the capacity of medical data solutions, but there still exist problems when conducting drug abuse research. One major concern regards the capacity to collect data in real-time and within natural contexts, since drug use and health issues are sensitive topics. Another concern regards traditional data and project management that lacks enough options for interactive communications between people. It often takes time before information or data summaries are accessible to make decisions on safety or efficacy. As a solution based on wireless technologies, this SBIR Phase-I application aims to develop a prototype of iPhone-based Real-time Data Solution (iRDS) and study the feasibility of using mobile-phones for data collection, management, and analysis in medical research related to drug abuse and other behavioral problems. Taking up to 6 months, the following applications will be created using iPhone, Web, and database development tools. 1. Develop prototype applications for real-time data collection: (i) iCollect provides an iPhone interface for behavioral/psychological data-entry;(ii) uDesign running on the web server offers a tool for designing questionnaire with electronic forms;(c) vData manages medical data on the data server. 2. Develop prototype applications to dynamically mange and analyze data: (i) iAnalyze provides an iPhone interface for exploring, processing, and analyzing data;(ii) uAnalyze is the web app that conducts data analysis requiring heavy computations. 3. Develop prototype applications for project management: (i) iCom provides interactive communication tools between researchers and study participants via text message, email, and web-page;(ii) iAdm offers reminder and progress monitoring services over iPhone to help researchers exchange information and coordinate tasks quickly. Accomplishment of the above miniature iRDS system would (i) enable data collection in real-time within natural contexts, (ii) manage and analyze data quickly, and (iii) improve the efficiency of study administration. Ten smokers will be used to assess the reliability, validity, and other features of the iRDS system using standard behavior and quality of life questionnaires. Complete development of iRDS and related methodologies will be conducted in Phase-II, and the system will then be extended to accommodate other mobile-phones (e.g., RIM, Windows Mobiles, and Symbian cellular phones) for business purposes.
Quality of data is crucial for the success of all kinds of biomedical research. The proposed methods based on mobile-phones and wireless technologies would greatly improve the quality of data by enabling data collection, management and analysis conducted in real-time and within natural contexts. The proposed iPhone-based system will also provide useful tools for interactive communications and efficient project management.
