14 DAY TRIAL // Microsoft is actively trying to push its Windows 8.1 platform anywhere it can and in some fields, it is actually succeeding.
Redmond has recently announced that PHT Corporation, a provider of technologies used to collect patient-driven data for clinical trials and research, has decided to go paperless.
Until now, questionnaires were handed out to patients and study associates in the traditional paper form, but PHT is looking to abandon this way of doing things, in order to adopt a more efficient method, via the SitePad System.
VP of Marketing & Product Management at PHT, Sheila Rocchio explains:
“Paper is no longer the gold standard, and clinical trial sponsors are rapidly abandoning paper methods for collecting critical information about how patients feel and function in addition to key clinician observation and assessments.”
So the company has purchased more than 2,000 units of Dell’s Venue 11 Pro tablets powered by Windows 8.1 in an effort to deploy them in clinical trials worldwide.
The SitePad platform will be mounted upon these tablets, so clinicians and patients alike will have access to an improved user experience, regardless of whether they are filling out questionnaires or gathering data.
The Windows 8.1-based tablets will allow PHT to run their custom software on top, thus helping to lower clinical trial costs and reduce the time spent on mending missing or inconsistent data.
The Dell Venue 11 Pro tablets are aimed at professional markets, so they are suited to be used in the clinical trial industry.
With this in mind, the Dell Venue 11 Pro brings some powerful specs to the table. The device arrives with 11-inch full HD screen, delivering 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution.
The slate draws power from a 2.4GHz quad-core Intel Atom CPU fitted with 2GB of RAM and Intel graphics, but users can opt for Intel Core i3 / i5 too.
The tablet comes with two cameras (8MP on the back and 2MP in the front), microHDMI, USB 3.0, Wi-Fi 802.11n, Bluetooth 4.0 and NFC. In the US, the Dell Venue 11 Pro is also offered in LTE flavors, an important benefit for professional users.
The tablet can be fitted with an optional stylus, but as you might well remember, users of the slate complained about the quality of the product so much that Dell eventually had to replace them.
Other accessories include a keyboard case or an attachable keyboard, which should make working on the device a lot easier.