Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 10, 2026

Methodology for Establishing a Community-Wide Life Laboratory for Capturing Unobtrusive and Continuous Remote Activity and Health Data
Published on: July 27, 2018
Development of an affordable data collection, reporting, and analysis system
1Department of Respiratory Care, Tufts-New England Medical Center, Boston, 02111, USA. whoward@lifespan.org
Abstract:
Available professionally designed systems for recording, storing, retrieving, and analyzing patient data (such as treatments delivered, laboratory and pulmonary function test results, ventilator settings, and patient assessments) are prohibitively expensive to many hospitals and clinics. At Tufts-New England Medical Center we designed and implemented a computerized patient data management system that uses relatively inexpensive "personal digital assistants" and inexpensive, commonly-available software. Compared to the pen-and-paper flow sheet system we previously used, our computerized system saves time and money, is accurate and user-friendly, and allows data retrieval and analysis that can improve clinical practice and efficiency. We believe our experience could benefit other institutions.
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