Selected Technical Issues to Consider When Developing an Electronic Data Collection System
| Issue | Technology |
|---|---|
| PDA = personal digital assistant; SSL = Secure Sockets Layer; VPN = virtual private network; ASP = Active Server pages; PBRN = practice-based research network; LAN = local area network; WAN = wide-area network. | |
| What hardware will you be using? | Workstation or desktop computer in office |
| PDA supplied by the network | |
| PDA supplied by the clinician | |
| Pen-tablet computer | |
| Slate | |
| Convertible | |
| Web server for hosting data forms | |
| Does it have a security certificate to run SSL? | |
| Web server for synchronization (does not have to be a separate server) | |
| Does it have a security certificate to run SSL? | |
| Database server | |
| Application server (could be the database server or the Web server in a minimal configuration) | |
| What software will you be using? | Operating system for the Web server(s) |
| Windows | |
| Linux | |
| Unix | |
| Web services software (IIS, Apache, others) | |
| Security | |
| SSL with certificates | |
| VPN | |
| Development software | |
| ASP | |
| .NET | |
| Visual Basic/C++ | |
| Power Builder | |
| ColdFusion and others | |
| One of many PDA development systems | |
| One of many Web survey tools | |
| Third-party controls for specific activities | |
| One of several database systems | |
| Network and workstation issues | Who has administrative rights to office workstations? |
| Who administers the fire wall for the PBRN and/or its service provider? | |
| Who administers the fire wall for each practice in the network? | |
| What types of networks and connectivity are in each practice? | |
| Broadband | |
| Dial-up modem | |
| Wireless within office | |
| LAN | |
| WAN | |
| Personnel issues | Who will develop the data collection forms? |
| Who will manage the database, including security and fail-safe mechanisms? | |
| Who will train practice staff and clinicians to use the system? | |
| What level of support for the system is required? | |
| 24 hours per day, 7 days per week | |
| 8:00 am-5:00 pm Monday through Friday | |
| Less-intense support | |
| Replacement issues | Who will pay to replace equipment as it ages? |
| Central hardware and software | |
| Practice-level hardware | |