ESPOO, Finland – In some parts of the world, gathering data is essential in managing disease. In Brazil, for example, the Amazonas State Health Department regularly survey portions of the population to monitor and treat outbreaks of dengue fever.
The old, paper-based, process could take 1-2 months to gather the info, process and digitise it. Today though, Nokia release Nokia Data Gathering, complete with some pretty nifty features.
First off, much of the data processing has been removed, now data is entered onto a mobile device and sent directly to the database. This means data is not only available instantly but much fresher and
typically with fewer mistakes.
Two things stand out for this new app in my book. The first is that new questionnaires can be sent out to the devices over the mobile network. This means field workers can be where they need to be – in the field –
and researchers can make sure the right questions are being answered. The second thing I like is the use of GPS. By geotagging data the process is not only sped up but disease spread can be much more
accurately tracked.
Over the last few days at The Way We Live Next the concept of The Internet of Things has been starting to come to life. I reckon this falls right into the same category. It’s about the Internet being used in totally new, and useful, ways. The Internet on your mobile is in such an infant state still. That some see still the future of it as an improved browsing experience is a bit of a joke. It’s so much more than
that.