Software Engineering: A fundamental Approach to Automate and Interface Medical Electronic Systems with Computers in Healthcare Systems

Abstract

The cost for application software and propriatry standards (i.e. data structure and formats) required for storing clinical
datasets from electronic device cause the use of time-consuming paper-based documentation and/or the transfer of
electronic lab records manually to the PC database systems in Mother-Offspring Malaria Study (MOMS) Laboratory
Unit located in Morogoro Regional Hospital, Tanzania. We have explored the ability to extract laboratory results from
Haematology analyzer machine for easy management, access and storage. The methodology and tools used during the
study includes; site survey and hands-on practice for requirement engineering, visual basic 6.0 for interface design and
Microsoft Access for relational database design. The study has developed a model “ CO mpose- TRA ansmit- CO nvent-
CO mpose” convention (acronym COTRACOCO) to implements an open serial port interface that required only a driver
class to execute the labs outputs for storage in database with at run-time with less programming knowledge. The study
demonstrated that the COTRACOCO convention presented is general and may promote a new paradigm for establishing
the robust serial port communication systems for any digital device.