SEARCH · PubMed Health

Results for “Software Design”

Explore indexed PubMed citations for clinical trials, systematic reviews and public health research. Read source abstracts and follow each citation to its original PubMed record.

Quote a phrase for an exact phrase match. Source license links do not imply unrestricted reuse.

At least 721 records · Page 40Linked to original sources

PubMed2006

[Development of medical emergency response system for accidents due to chemicals in Chongqing municipality].

OBJECTIVE: To plan and develop a Chongqing chemical accident rescue command system. METHODS: Based on the modes of leakage and diffusion of various poisonous gases and chemicals, different modes of injuries produced, and their appropriate rescue and treatments, also taking the following factors such as the condition of storage of chemicals, meteorological and geographic conditions, medical institutions and equipment, and their rescuing capacity into consideration, a plan was drafted to establish the rescue system. Real-time simulation technology, data analysis, evaluation technology and database technology were employed in the planning. Using Visual Studio 6.0 as the software development platform, this project aimed to design the software of an emergency command system for chemical accidents in Chongqing which could be operated with the Windows 2000/XP operating system. RESULTS: This system provided a dynamic scope of the endangered area, casualty number estimates, and recommendation of measures and a rescue plan for various chemical accidents. Furthermore, the system helped retrieve comprehensive information regarding the physical and chemical characteristics of more than 4 200 dangerous poisonous chemicals and their appropriate treatment modalities. CONCLUSION: This system is easy to operate with a friendly interface, functions rapidly and can provide real-time analysis with comparatively precise results. This system could satisfy the requirements of executing the command and the rescue of a chemical accident with good prospects of application.

Accidents↗

PubMed1995

Designing interfaces for medical information management systems.

Poor interface design has adversely affected the integration of technology into medical environments. This paper discusses the importance of good interface design in medical information management systems. We will illustrate the advantages of approaching interface design in a user-centered manner, by describing the interface design process of the Curriculum Database for the Faculty of Medicine, Monash University. We believe that a consultative design process can make the difference between software success and failure.

Attitude to Computers↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Human-computer interface evaluation: not user-friendliness but design for operation.

This paper considers human-computer interface evaluation in the context of design and development. It is argued that it is not helpful to view evaluation as a method for achieving user-friendliness, rather it should be seen as a participating activity within design and development. The centre of concern is the operation of the system when employed in practice. Such evaluation is not necessarily to be conducted by independent observation and experiment, but may be closely integrated with other design activities. In fact the very theory underlying the evaluation finds its embodiment in the artifact of the user interface. Taking this view has technical, as well as human factors, implications.

Decision Making, Computer-Assisted↗

PubMed2004

SNPbox: a modular software package for large-scale primer design.

UNLABELLED: We developed a modular software package SNPbox that automates and standardizes the generation of PCR primers and is used in the strategy for constructing single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) maps. In this strategy, the focus of primer design can be either on the validation of annotated public SNPs or on the SNP discovery in exon regions or extended genomic regions, both by resequencing. SNPbox relies on Primer3 for the primer design and combines this program with other publicly available software tools such as BLAST, Spidey and RepeatMasker, and newly developed algorithms. Primer conditions were chosen such that PCR amplifications are uniform for each PCR amplicon facilitating the use of high-throughput genetic platforms. SNPbox can also be used for the design of primer sets for mutation analysis, STR marker genotyping and microarray oligo design. Of the 2500 primer sets designed by SNPbox, 95% successfully amplified genomic DNA under uniform PCR conditions. AVAILABILITY: The software is available from the authors upon request. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: SNPbox_supplement.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1993

A hardware-independent data acquisition package incorporating a simulation driver and simulation description language.

Device drivers for commercial data acquisition boards (DASH-16, DT2801) and a device driver for a virtual data acquisition board have been developed and incorporated in a single package for a multiple station anesthesia research laboratory. The package provides a compiler for a simulation description language which is used to program the virtual board. The package, written in C for the IBM PC, was designed to be easily extended with additional drivers. Applications using the package can control all supported devices without the programmer having to learn the details of the hardware.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMed1990

Full integration of the beam's eye view concept into computerized treatment planning.

A complete set of beam's eye view (BEV) and beam portal design features have been integrated into a computerized 3-dimensional radiotherapy treatment planning system. Among the features implemented is the ability to mix BEV graphics with gray-scale images such as simulator and verification radiographs, and digital reconstructed radiographs. Image processing techniques have been developed to both enhance verification images and to detect radiation field boundaries. These portal simulation and presentation techniques are being used clinically to design and verify radiation fields with manual or automatically-designed field shaping blocks. The ability to perform computer dose calculations for planes which are parallel or perpendicular to a specified beam's central axis is available and this feature has also proven useful for treatment plan evaluation and optimization. Finally, direct comparison of computer-generated portal images with actual simulation and verification radiographs is also possible. These techniques allow the direct integration of "CT-directed treatment planning" with block design, simulator films and port films, and other Beam's Eye View-type displays.

Computer Simulation↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Deep versus surface learning with multimedia in nursing education development and evaluation of WoundCare.

Examination of the software design-learning relationship is mandatory if significant benefits are to be derived from the development and use of Interactive multimedia in nursing education. This article reports on the development and student evaluation of WoundCare: An Interactive Learning Program for Health Professionals (version 1.0a). Of particular interest to those involved in nursing education is the extent to which the learning activities incorporated in WoundCare promote "deep" rather than "surface" learning. Specific design features believed to facilitate and inhibit deep learning are identified. Modifications that could increase the learning effectiveness of WoundCare and other interactive multimedia programs are proposed.

Australia↗

PubMed2006

MultiPrimer: software for multiplex primer design.

This study presents a novel application, MultiPrimer, to assist users to design multiplex PCR primers. MultiPrimer adopts an algorithm based on a genetic algorithm and can efficiently solve the multi-objective optimisation problem. A match pattern model is proposed to speed up examination of the specificity constraint. MultiPrimer is able to find a set of primer pairs simultaneously for a set of gene family sequences and multiple targets for a single cDNA sequence. A public version of the MultiPrimer software is available from http://edith.cse.nsysu.edu.tw/new/software/MultiPrimer.htm.

Algorithms↗

PubMed2003

MADGE: scalable distributed data management software for cDNA microarrays.

MOTIVATION: The human genome project and the development of new high-throughput technologies have created unparalleled opportunities to study the mechanism of diseases, monitor the disease progression and evaluate effective therapies. Gene expression profiling is a critical tool to accomplish these goals. The use of nucleic acid microarrays to assess the gene expression of thousands of genes simultaneously has seen phenomenal growth over the past five years. Although commercial sources of microarrays exist, investigators wanting more flexibility in the genes represented on the array will turn to in-house production. The creation and use of cDNA microarrays is a complicated process that generates an enormous amount of information. Effective data management of this information is essential to efficiently access, analyze, troubleshoot and evaluate the microarray experiments. RESULTS: We have developed a distributable software package designed to track and store the various pieces of data generated by a cDNA microarray facility. This includes the clone collection storage data, annotation data, workflow queues, microarray data, data repositories, sample submission information, and project/investigator information. This application was designed using a 3-tier client server model. The data access layer (1st tier) contains the relational database system tuned to support a large number of transactions. The data services layer (2nd tier) is a distributed COM server with full database transaction support. The application layer (3rd tier) is an internet based user interface that contains both client and server side code for dynamic interactions with the user. AVAILABILITY: This software is freely available to academic institutions and non-profit organizations at http://www.genomics.mcg.edu/niddkbtc.

Database Management Systems↗

PubMed2005

Using qualitative studies to improve the usability of an EMR.

The adoption of electronic medical records (EMRs) and user satisfaction are closely associated with the system's usability. To improve the usability of a results management module of a widely deployed web-based EMR, we conducted two qualitative studies that included multiple focus group and field study sessions. Qualitative research can help focus attention on user tasks and goals and identify patterns of care that can be visualized through task modeling exercises. Findings from both studies raised issues with the amount and organization of information in the display, interference with workflow patterns of primary care physicians, and the availability of visual cues and feedback. We used the findings of these studies to recommend design changes to the user interface of the results management module.

Attitude to Computers↗

PubMed2004

OsiriX: an open-source software for navigating in multidimensional DICOM images.

A multidimensional image navigation and display software was designed for display and interpretation of large sets of multidimensional and multimodality images such as combined PET-CT studies. The software is developed in Objective-C on a Macintosh platform under the MacOS X operating system using the GNUstep development environment. It also benefits from the extremely fast and optimized 3D graphic capabilities of the OpenGL graphic standard widely used for computer games optimized for taking advantage of any hardware graphic accelerator boards available. In the design of the software special attention was given to adapt the user interface to the specific and complex tasks of navigating through large sets of image data. An interactive jog-wheel device widely used in the video and movie industry was implemented to allow users to navigate in the different dimensions of an image set much faster than with a traditional mouse or on-screen cursors and sliders. The program can easily be adapted for very specific tasks that require a limited number of functions, by adding and removing tools from the program's toolbar and avoiding an overwhelming number of unnecessary tools and functions. The processing and image rendering tools of the software are based on the open-source libraries ITK and VTK. This ensures that all new developments in image processing that could emerge from other academic institutions using these libraries can be directly ported to the OsiriX program. OsiriX is provided free of charge under the GNU open-source licensing agreement at http://homepage.mac.com/rossetantoine/osirix.

Computer Graphics↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Design and implementation of a comprehensive outpatient Results Manager.

Prior research has demonstrated that clinicians often fail to review and act upon outpatient test results in a timely and appropriate manner. To address this patient safety and quality of care issue, Partners Healthcare has developed a browser-based, provider-centric, comprehensive results management application to help clinic physicians review and act upon test results in a safe, reliable, and efficient manner. The application, called the Results Manager, incorporates extensive decision support features to classify the degree of abnormality for each result, presents guidelines to help clinicians manage abnormal results, allows clinicians to generate result letters to patients with predefined, context-sensitive templates and prompts physicians to set reminders for future testing. In this paper, we outline the design process and functionality of Results Manager. We also discuss its underlying architectural design, which revolves around a clinical event monitor and a rules engine, and the methodological challenges encountered in designing this application.

Ambulatory Care↗

PubMedDate not supplied

A general software package for the handling of medical images.

PICS (portable imaging computer software), is a software system designed for handling and processing a variety of types of medical image. It has been designed to satisfy the following criteria: (a) the software should be portable between different items of hardware with minimal alteration; (b) there should be a simple operator interface to enable use by inexperienced users, while avoiding the need for experienced users to be directed through tedious menu trees; (c) the programming environment should enable simple integration of new data handling protocols. To meet these requirements the software was written in FORTRAN using structured subroutine organization. The software has basic image handling and processing facilities and contains a comprehensive set of nuclear medicine clinical protocols. Other facilities include alignment of images from different modalities with display of superimposed images and ability to handle, analyse and display three-dimensional data sets. Data transfer programs have been written to capture data from gamma camera, CT, MRI, ultrasound and radiographs by converting the images to a common data format. The system provides a hospital with a central digital image handling resource, enabling investigation of the value of digital image processing in potential clinical applications.

Diagnostic Imaging↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Monitoring expert system performance using continuous user feedback.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the applicability of metrics collected during routine use to monitor the performance of a deployed expert system. METHODS: Two extensive formal evaluations of the GermWatcher (Washington University School of Medicine) expert system were performed approximately six months apart. Deficiencies noted during the first evaluation were corrected via a series of interim changes to the expert system rules, even though the expert system was in routine use. As part of their daily work routine, infection control nurses reviewed expert system output and changed the output results with which they disagreed. The rate of nurse disagreement with expert system output was used as an indirect or surrogate metric of expert system performance between formal evaluations. The results of the second evaluation were used to validate the disagreement rate as an indirect performance measure. Based on continued monitoring of user feedback, expert system changes incorporated after the second formal evaluation have resulted in additional improvements in performance. RESULTS: The rate of nurse disagreement with GermWatcher output decreased consistently after each change to the program. The second formal evaluation confirmed a marked improvement in the program's performance, justifying the use of the nurses' disagreement rate as an indirect performance metric. CONCLUSIONS: Metrics collected during the routine use of the GermWatcher expert system can be used to monitor the performance of the expert system. The impact of improvements to the program can be followed using continuous user feedback without requiring extensive formal evaluations after each modification. When possible, the design of an expert system should incorporate measures of system performance that can be collected and monitored during the routine use of the system.

Expert Systems↗

PubMed2004

A UML profile for framework modeling.

The current standard Unified Modeling Language(UML) could not model framework flexibility and extendability adequately due to lack of appropriate constructs to distinguish framework hot-spots from kernel elements. A new UML profile that may customize UML for framework modeling was presented using the extension mechanisms of UML, providing a group of UML extensions to meet the needs of framework modeling. In this profile, the extended class diagrams and sequence diagrams were defined to straightforwardly identify the hot-spots and describe their instantiation restrictions. A transformation model based on design patterns was also put forward, such that the profile based framework design diagrams could be automatically mapped to the corresponding implementation diagrams. It was proved that the presented profile makes framework modeling more straightforwardly and therefore easier to understand and instantiate.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1994

Clinical workstations: identifying clinical requirements and understanding clinical information.

A preliminary exploration of the problem of defining and meeting users' needs, this paper draws the bulk of its content from experiences in the PEN&PAD project in the UK. This program has been researching and developing prototype clinical workstations for direct use in patient care by health care professionals, chiefly doctors. Focusing more on general issues rather than the specific functional requirements embodied in the PEN&PAD prototypes, the paper begins with a brief summary of the goals of PEN&PAD and then outlines the three main axes of the work: user-centred design, medical concept and medical record models, and user interfaces and architectures. The remainder of the paper then concentrates on the first of these topics--working with users to define functional requirements.

Computer Systems↗

PubMed2006

A constraint-satisfaction approach to studying the management of multiple objectives in design problem-solving.

How professional and novice designers manage multiple objectives through constraint satisfaction was studied. An objective is defined as a network of constraints; a constraint is characterized as related to a source (internal or external) and an addressee (e.g., client or user). It has been shown that designers favour objectives related to external constraint (e.g., data from the task) and to the client. Generally, client and external constraints are identical. To study the management of multiple objectives, fifteen web site designers were instructed to design a site according to user's objectives or client's objectives. Our results indicate that the validity status allocated to constraints is more determined by the status of the addressee than by the status of the source, whatever the objective condition that must be satisfied. Possible methodological generalizations are discussed.

Attention↗

PubMed1988

Hand-held computer program for field-capture and analysis of herbage yield and composition data using a modified dry-weight-rank and yield estimate method.

A BASIC program is described which is used to collect, check and analyse rank estimates of plant yield in the field. The program operates in a portable, battery-powered Sharp PC1500A hand-held computer than can be used in a field environment. Data are collected using a modified dry-weight-rank method and comparative yield estimates. Much of the software is designed to trap incorrect data entry. Raw data or summary data may be printed, displayed, and stored on cassette tape or transferred to another computer through a communications interface. The program can be easily modified to run on other models of the Sharp PC series or other portable computers that use a similar BASIC interpreter.

Algorithms↗