Based on the discussion of hardware, Internet, and software technology trends in this chapter, it should be clear to you that the Real-Time Glucose Monitoring (RTGM) system is an interesting combination of older and newer technology. Except for the interface to software and data on mobile phones, the server-side portions of the system are a relatively traditional business-oriented application that can be implemented by using old-fashioned technology. What makes the RTGM system “new” are its client-side functions, including the automated collection of glucose levels, the regular transmission of that data to servers, the integration of communication between patients and health-care providers, and the integration of those functions within software installed on a portable device that can be carried in a user’s pocket.

With that in mind, answer the following questions. You may need to do some additional research to fully address them.

1. Should the client-side software be deployed as a browser-based application or as an installable

app? Be sure to consider such issues as client/server communication requirements and frequency,

user-interface quality, and portability across devices and operation systems.

2. Which (if any) social networking capabilities might make a useful addition to the RTGM system? Be sure to consider the HIPAA requirements described for this case at the end of Chapter 6.

3. When recorded glucose levels generate high priority alerts, physicians or other health-care providers initiate direct contact with the patient. An ordinary phone call over the cellular phone network is one way to support direct contact. Because any client-side device used with the

RTGM system must be fully Internet-capable, an Internet telephony application, such as Skype, is another possible way of supporting synchronous voice or video communication with the patient. Should Skype or a similar Internet telephony application be used with the RTGM system? Why or why not? If such an application is used, should it support video? Why or why not?

4. Data mining is an increasingly important technique for medical research. The ability to scan medical records of large numbers of patients over extended time periods enables researchers to better evaluate the effectiveness of drugs and therapies, more accurately connect disease risk levels to specific patient characteristics, and identify patterns of transmission or occurrence, progression, and treatment response for rare diseases and conditions. What types of medical research might be enabled or better supported by the data collected by the RTGM system? Would your answer change if the database were extended to include additional information that might be gathered from the patient’s mobile phone (e.g., location information when each glucose level was captured, size and content of the patient’s contact list, call history, and the volume of text messages and Internet browsing activity)?