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Porting a Clinical Mobile Device Application from iPhone to Android
using Online Collaboration:a Case Study using NeuroMind
Jonathan C. Lau, MEng, MD Candidate, Queen’s UniversityPieter Kubben, MD, PhD, Maastricht University
Objective
• To present our experiences porting a clinical mobile device application, NeuroMind, from iPhone to Android– Successes we’ve obtained– Challenges of online collaboration
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
NeuroMind
• A mobile device application developed originally for the iPhone by Dr. Kubben
• Specifically designed as clinical resource for:1. medical students2. neurology / neurosurgery residents3. neurologists / neurosurgeons
• Available on the AppStore as free download• Details at:
http://blog.digitalneurosurgeon.com
NeuroMind
NeuroMind
• Has been downloaded more than 30,000X since its release
• #1 ranked iPhone app for neurosurgery
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Collaboration
• How does a medical student from Kingston, Ontario, Canada end up collaborating with a neurosurgery resident from Maastricht?
Collaboration
• Social Media (Twitter)
Collaboration
• After two readers emailed @DigNeurosurgeon about NeuroMind on Android, he broadcasted the following message on Twitter:
• Link to his blog– Concluded that it was outside of his current
priorities to port NeuroMind to Android– But should anyone be interested, to contact him
Collaboration
• In touch by email that day• Agreed on initial plan:– To develop framework in Android SDK– Add same content as on iPhone (HTML)
• Tentative deadline for working application:– Six months from our initial contact– (Time of Medicine 2.0 Congress)
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Why Android?
Why Android?
Why Android?
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Project Planning
Project Planning
• Google Wave:
Google stopped developing 2010/08.
Project Planning
• 37signals Basecamp: www.basecamphq.com
30-day free trial then $49/month.
Project Planning
• Email– July:
• get Dictionary example working• experiment with changing content in example
– August-September: expand example with1. working database in background that is used for loading data2. have the user go to a detail screen that displays the data (title,
description, content) if the user clicks the item in the TableView
– October:• Populate app with actual content and continue testing
– November: prepare conference material and release– Nov-Dec: release and post about it
Project Planning
• Obtaining an Android phone– Not absolutely necessary: well-documented
software from Google for virtual device– Bought used HTC Magic online
• Obtaining an “iProduct” to evaluate NeuroMind– Borrowed an iTouch from colleague
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Project Development
• Software Development Environment– Original goal to try developing using Android SDK– Eclipse Platform:• Free open-source software• Designed for development of Java applications• Android SDK available with virtual device for testing
mobile device applications
Project Development
• Tutorials on Android (http://developer.android.com)– Hello World to Dictionary– ListView as UI candidate
Project Development
• Enter Appcelerator Titanium Mobile 1.4– Released July 26, 2010
• Open source platform for developing native mobile and desktop applications using web technologies
• Support for multiple platforms:– iPhone and Android support since June 2009– iPad support since April 2010– Blackberry support in beta
Project Development
• Significant progress with Appcelerator 1.4 release (September/October 2010)
• Preliminary Android NeuroMind released:– October 23, 2010 (ahead of schedule!)
• Coincided with release of Surgical Neurology International mobile application– see conference presentation by Kubben et al.
Project Development
• Available on Android Market• 500-1000 downloads so far
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Challenges
• In Medicine 2.0 context:– Selected Group of Stakeholders:• Neurosurgeons and neurologists• Neurosurgery and neurology residents• Medical students interested in clinical neuroscience
– Collaboration:• Limited to specialized # of stakeholders who also had
interest in mobile device application development
• Likely did not take advantage of expertise of greater community as well as we could have
Challenges
• Collaborator Idiosyncrasy– or “Compatibility” between collaborators– Different Platforms:• Lack of virtual device on non-Apple products for
product development
– Different Software Development Environments:• Eclipse Java environment• Appcelerator Titanium
– Time:• Clinical duties, other research priorities, time difference
Challenges
• Maintaining CollaborationWe know Medicine 2.0 is useful for initiation of
collaboration (intermediation/apomediation) but how do we maintain effective collaboration over time?
Challenges
• Collaboration in Software Development– Tracking Project Milestones• Social Media: Twitter, Google Wave• 37signals Basecamp
– Tracking Software Changes• Redmine:
– web-based project management + bug-tracking tool
• Trac• Appcelerator?
Challenges
• Collaboration in Content• Tracking Content Changes (neurodss.com)– Currently using Google Docs– Alternatives:• Wiki
Outline
• What is NeuroMind?• Our Collaboration• Why Android?• Project Planning• Project Development• Challenges• Future Work
Future Work
• Design, Development, Maintenance, Testing– User Interface (iOS, Android, RIM, Windows 7)
• Appcelerator has many advantages:– Content / Layout nuances decided by others– Software development largely outsourced– Can focus on content building
• There are disadvantages too:– Dependence on support provided by company and
their roadmap for development– Professional version $199/developer/month
Future Work
• Collaboration in Content• Mobilize other stakeholders?– ?Authority to edit– ?Authority to edit from mobile device– Ability to rate entries– Ability to ask for new entries– Peer-review
Aside: need to support multiple mobile platforms to ensure widest participation
Future Work
• Multiple Versions of NeuroMind?– Decision support version for clinicians– Education version for medical students
• Integration with Neurosurgery 2.0 framework?
Future Work
Future Work
Conclusions
• While our software development deviated from our original design, a product was released ahead of schedule for Android
• Online collaboration can be effective but the tools used are context dependent and depend also on project scale and direction
• Having the opportunity to discuss in person at this meeting will greatly assist with facilitating our continued collaborations
Acknowledgements
• Dr. Pieter L. Kubben (@DigNeurosurgeon)– Maastricht University
• Queen’s University, Kingston, ON, Canada– Dr. Richard Resnick• Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences for funding
– Undergraduate Medical Education Office
Thank you for your attention!
• Questions?