Hello I am finishing a PhD in computer science, for which I received a B4 XO to work on the visual aspects of written sign languages. But I am also a medical doctor, and as so I am contacting this list for a totally different project: offering healthcare professionals up-to-date information, using an OLPC.
My MD thesis was about drug information systems. I created an easy to use drug information interface, with the help of a drug database edited by a non profit organisation, intended for pharmacists. Since I had access to a B4, I made sure it was working fine on the OLPC as well - and both nurses and doctors love the new system, which provides great improvements as compared to existing systems or the pharmacist-database it was based on. It will soon be offered to the public on the net. Now I am exploring possibilities to offer drug information in french speaking countries on dedicated appliances, for cases where network access is problematic. So I would be interested in contacting health professionals from other french-speaking countries to see if my application can help them (even with the differences between the french formulary and their national formularies) and how cost-effective offering that application on an OLPC could be. I receive no funding for this effort - until when I was recently awarded funding by my local medical association, under the condition I use an Asus eee PC as the test platform locally (because that's what they are purchasing!). I haven't accepted such a funding yet : Drug information is sensitive information. It should not be funded or reliant on any drug maker. For similar many political reasons, I would prefer to give this information through an OLPC. Currently, I am evaluating possibilities to personally fund such an effort through commercialisation of my software in France, to pay for the OLPC hardware abroad (like a G1G1 in healthcare). I am negociating a deal with the non profit organisation to get free licenses of their database for such an use. All I need is willing testers, if possible with access to OLPC hardware, in a clinical setting. I will provide the software, the training and the assistance. Any contact or suggestion would be appreciated. I am especially interested in Haïti, since I should be moving to Fort De France (Martinique) as soon as my PhD is finished. PS : I also have played with the WHO drug formulary for which I made adaptations to facilitate navigation. It could be useful for non-french speaking countries. _______________________________________________ Library mailing list [email protected] http://lists.laptop.org/listinfo/library
