Survey and Test Platform for Use in Underserved Populations

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): Advanced Medical Electronics Corp, in collaboration with the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, proposes to develop a hardware/software platform suitable for administering a variety of tests and survey instruments to underserved populations in settings that can range from living rooms to libraries, community centers to nursing homes, and from inner cities and rural counties in the US to locations throughout the developing world. This prototype will be geared towards screening tests and surveys of visual function. The hardware will be physically durable and have built-in calibration and monitoring capability; eye-tracking capability will be an integral part of the design and prototype. The software will be sufficiently simple to allow administration by non-professionals, following a brief instruction through a built-in on-screen course; the software will have built- in redundancy and error checking. The operating environment will be set up for open access, allowing third- party developers to implement a variety of tests and surveys on this platform PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: Health studies of underserved populations, whether in the rural US or in the developing world, often lack precise and versatile test and survey instruments, and trained professionals to operate these instruments. The major objective of this proposal is to create a prototype test and survey platform based on a tablet PC with a secondary screen, with calibration and monitoring hardware and software tools, and a gaze-tracking subsystem. This prototype will be geared towards screening tests and surveys of visual function, but can easily be expanded to other aspects of sensory function and wellness. Such a platform can be used by surveyors in the community to rapidly screen for sensory and wellness problems that may warrant medical attention.