FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 14th, 2004
Four Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology students are applying what they’ve learned in the classroom along with educational experiences while working at Rose-Hulman Ventures toward accelerating the software development of ObGynPocketPro, a product created by Terre Haute-based ObTech, Inc., a developer of mobile medical information management software for healthcare professionals.
Will Mathies, manager of software development at Rose-Hulman Ventures, said the contributions of Rose-Hulman undergraduates majoring in computer engineering, computer science, software engineering and a graduate student in the engineering management program are instrumental in the product’s technical development. “The students are learning how to develop Microsoft .NET applications for the Pocket PC. They are also gaining engineering experience with testing, supporting software engineering processes and developing complex functions,” Mathies said.
Rose-Hulman senior computer science student Peter Winton indicated that the professional experience he received working for ObTech has enhanced his education. “Computing resources can be very limited on handheld devices and my data structure courses gave me the tools to code for software efficiently. Concepts from software engineering courses simplified the planning stages of several ObTech projects,” Winton said.
ObTech, a Rose-Hulman Ventures partner, designs and develops software for handheld computers to simplify and streamline physicians’ patient care through information management. Focusing on women’s health, ObTech’s ObGynPocketPro saves time by having “always available” patient and medical information, while also reducing tedious and repetitive paperwork.
By using ObGynPocketPro, physicians can focus on medical decision-making, leaving the software to manage the information. ObTech accomplishes this through a suite of tools that includes:
· Obstetrical Patient Lists – tracks patients’ key prenatal care information with built in safety alerts, time saving visual cues, and wireless notes printing.
· Multifunctional
Due Date Calculator – performs dating functions, provides ultrasound
information and more
· Coding Assistant – includes a structured list of ObGyn
related billing codes
· Patient Counseling Images – aids in patient counseling
particularly for pre-op patients
· Reference information –
includes tables for
vaccinations in pregnancy, teratogens, risk of anomalies, gestational
diabetes testing, and more.
Additionally, the software features built in prenatal care information with automatic clinical context awareness and notification. To assist with Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) compliance, ObTech also provides password security and industry standard data encryption. This security far exceeds existing paper chart security. ObGynPocketPro is used by ob/gyns, family physicians, physicians’ assistants, nurse practitioners, nurse midwives, residents and medical students.
In addition to technical assistance, the student project assistants are essential in developing business plans, sales strategies and a new Web site. Project assistants Brandon Cannaday of Lima, Ohio and Winton of Lake Bluff, Ill. serve as lead software and Web developers while Mark Garringer of Red Key, Ind. and Jeremy Schoen of Arcadia, Ind. provide business planning and market research assistance.
Cannaday, a Rose-Hulman sophomore, said, “I now have a better sense of the software development process. My development experience was limited to the classroom and freelance jobs. None of these compare to the real-world experiences of working with ObTech.”
Jim Eifert, president of Rose-Hulman Ventures said, “The relationship with ObTech provides valuable educational experiences for our students who are significant contributors in the software development.”
Winton added that this work experience has given him an appreciation for the challenges of start-up companies. “I learned a great deal about the Ob/Gyn market, strategic planning and networking that are critical to a startup company. This experience helped to round out my education in a way that classes cannot and I’ve acquired new business contacts in the industry, as well as more work experience to add to my resume.”
The initial release of the ObGynPocketPro in 2002 has resulted in worldwide interest and sales. ObGynPocketPro ranks as the top download ob/gyn software program on the most popular site for purchasing handheld software, www.handango.com.
“With the help of Rose-Hulman Ventures, ObTech enters a new phase of technical development that will expand our distribution channels and accelerate a large scale market release,” said Robert Lalouche president and CEO of ObTech. “We are also developing a follow-up release with additional functionality,” he added.
Lalouche, a practicing board certified obstetric and gynecology physician, founded ObTech in 2001. He completed his master’s degree in computer science at the University of California at Los Angeles while obtaining his medical degree in just five years. Lalouche has also earned the distinction of Fellow, American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
“This technology significantly reduces the time practitioners spend on administration and documentation. It does the simple things automatically, which allows me to concentrate on critical medical decisions,” added Lalouche, who uses the ObGynPocketPro in his own clinical practice.
ObTech recently partnered with the Union Hospital Family Practice Residency in Terre Haute. Union Hospital is the largest provider of health services between Indianapolis and St. Louis and is the area's largest not-for-profit medical center.
Dr. Jim Buechler, Union Hospital Family Practice Residency Director, said the hospital purchased six copies of the program for use by 16 residents on their Obstetrics rotations. " ObGynPocketPro is a proven mobile solution that will help our residents by increasing their access to evidence based management of obstetrical patients and reducing their time with patient documentation," he said.
