[Novalug] Diabetes Software chance

[Peter Larsen]

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Jay Hart wrote:
> 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?

Mine and others, yes. It makes it easy to document to a doctor how well
you're doing other than just "averages". It's also a tool that can help
in detecting behaviour that results in bad numbers.

> 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.

Well, sort of. The software already exists - abeit in a pretty bad shape
- - for windows. All the meters I've had in the last 8 years have had a
serial interface where you could dump the "history" of your readings to
a piece of software. The software does a lot more than just collect the
data and show a graph. But that's the core of it though. A diary and the
ability to show "trends". Most software makes it possible to process the
data to show average morning readings, evening readings; allows the user
to set high and lows, and then marks those in different ways. In
essense, it becomes a report card for the patient.

I've even seen some that tries to target doctors and stores the readings
under each patient.

But common for them all is a poor design and poor growth potentials in
order to migrate to newer versions. You're locked into your current
meter, but when you replace your meter you loose all your old data. Of
course, there's the issue of how you tell your doctor. It's all paper
based too. In other words, lots of room for improvement.

So what I'm trying to say is, that I need a sale for Linux/open source.
As Greg points out, make sure they sign off on the idea of sharing this
information with the world to make a better product. I'm not the
greatest programmer in the world; but if this becomes a community effort
based on a healthy design, it could become a great product.

> 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.

Remember, they're not the ones who gets the data. They sell an
instrument. The benefit is really for the patient and the doctor. If for
instance, a server/client based system could be setup it would allow
patients to automatically send the data daily/weekly/monthly to their
doctor who could review immediately and change medicine or other
aspects. Problems could be caught earlier.

I could see that idea to Abbott - but the matter of fact is that we
can't just have one meter type on the software. So it cannot become a
differentiator for them. And that's the challenge I guess. To pitch an
open system, with open standards that would put their CLIENTS in a
better position to improve their lives.   Right now, Abbott and the rest
of the players lock their patients into THEIR products ... how can I
sell the advantages of an open system to them?

> 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.

I'm sorry, but that made absolutely no sense to me?? As a whole,
improving the communication between the patient and the doctor will help
of course; also a tool for self-help. It can't of course be as important
as the meter is by itself but it's a close second. But it's a business
case to the producers of the meter I'm looking for; a business case for
use of open standards etc.

Regards
  Peter Larsen
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