[Novalug] Diabetes Software chance

[Jay Hart]

Peter,

If I understand you right, you want to "write" a piece of software that will
improve your QOL (quality of Life).  Is that correct?

If this is want you want, then I think I would structure your business case
around Abbott labs enhancing the quality of life for those people that choose
to use their meters.

Next, ask them, based on this criteria, what kind of price tag they would put
on the positive PR they get from helping diabetes better managing their
disease.

Hope this helps.

BTW, I get a majors project are "writing" a software app that would improve
the QOL of diabetes, and reduce health care costs.

Jay Hart

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> A few months back I asked this fine group for suggestions for Linux
> software to use with diabetes test meters. The software that do exist,
> is of course for windows only and usually of a fairly poor quality. But
> nothing found for Linux :(
>
> I wrote Abbott Diabetes Care - who produces the meter I use myself and
> asked. And they're more than open to the suggestion of releasing the
> specifications/protocols to talk with the Freestyle family meters.
>
> Here's my plan should I get the communication specs - to initially make
> a basic program in Java that will read the meter data, and hold a small
> local "database" of meter readings. Once a basic program is working it
> would be released on sourceforge or something like that. It would be
> with the help of the community that other meters would be added, plus
> features for diets and other medical records could be added.
>
> To me it's important that this becomes a community effort. So here's the
> issue. Abbott wants a business case for what-ever software "I" produce.
> And I need to sell this idea of community effort and at the same time be
> careful that I don't break copyright and patents Abbott might have
> preventing a public release of the software. If the latter isn't
> possible, I most likely won't venture into this.
>
> If I scare them off I won't get the specs at all, and this is to no avail.
>
> So I need a bit of help. Suggestions to what to write this company and
> explain the wonders of open source without scaring them. And try to give
> a business case that would be read as an advantage to them. By no means
> do I want to help produce a SINGLE VENDOR (meter vendor) program so
> claiming it's a sole advocacy for them would be wrong. But in the
> beginning that would be the case of course.
>
> Of course the initial platform I think about is Linux; but with Java
> comes the possibility of all major platforms; mac, windows, different
> distros etc. which is why Java is so appealing to me. But I need
> something to hold the data in; what suggestions do you have? Mysql etc.
> isn't always available for those other platforms. Other ideas for
> programming platform?
>
> Best Regards
>   Peter Larsen
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