A FLEXIBLE SCHEDULING PROGRAM FOR LONGITUDINAL STUDIES

HUMAN CLINICAL AND LABORATORY RESEARCH FREQUENTLY REQUIRES ASUBJECT TO HAVE MULTIPLE VISITS, NUMEROUS TESTS, AND EVALUATION BY DIFFERENT PERSONNEL, WITH A SPECIFIED TIME INTERVAL ALLOWED BETWEEN VISITS. BECAUSE SOME RESEARCH EQUIPMENT IS NOT MOBILE AND IS ROOM SPECIFIC, SUBJECT VISITSMUST BE TRACKED AND SCHEDULED AT THE ACTIVITY-RESEARCH PROVIDER-ROOM LEVEL, WHILE ADHERING TO THE DISCRETE, INTERVISIT "TIME WINDOWS". THE TRADITIONAL PAPER AND PENCIL SCHEDULING CALENDAR IS LABORIOUS AND FREQUENTLY INACCURATE FOR THESE CLINICAL RESEARCH TASKS. BECAUSE THERE ARE NO COMMERCIAL PRODUCTS PRESENTLY AVAILABLETO DO THIS, THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO PRODUCE A USER-FRIENDLY, INTERACTIVE PROGRAM, QUICKSCHEDULE, TO SIMPLIFY THIS TASK. WHEN COMPLETE, QUICKSCHEDULE WILL AUTOMATICALLY SCHEDULE ALLAPPOINTMENTS FOR AS MANY VISITS AS REQUESTED, USING RELEVANTINFORMATION PREVIOUSLY ENTERED INTO THE PROGRAM. QUICKSCHEDULE WILL ALSO MAINTAIN QUALITY CONTROL BY ASSURING THAT ALLOWED INTERVISIT TIME INTERVALS ARE MAINTAINED. ADDITIONALLY, THE "PENDING" OR "TICKLER" FILE WILL MINIMIZE PROBLEMS THAT RESULT WHEN A SUBJECT CANCELS BUT FORGETS TO RESCHEDULE A VISIT.