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2. Profile of target users

Typical target users of Debian-Med have less knowledge about the internals of computers. They are experts in medicine or microbiology and they need reliable tools.

The effort to download Free Software from the net, perhaps compile the source after reading installation manuals and install the compiled software on their local system is simply not acceptable because they have no qualification for this job. They just need a ready-to-run system to do their real work.

The target user also does not want to do any administration work such as caring for special needs for special user groups or keeping the system up to date.

Moreover there is only an interest in a limited subset of available Free Software. For instance they are normally not interested in development environments. However, if some services (i.e. web server) are needed for end user tools they have to work silently without intervention of the user.

There is a big need for easy-to-use software. Time is money and sometimes important to save lives in this field. So trouble caused by strange usage is unacceptable. (Bad interfaces can also endanger patients in other ways, as with Therac-25.)

Security and confidence of data are an absolute must in health care. Neither loss of data nor third party eyes on the data are acceptable. This remains valid also for the process of future updates of the software.

Non-native English speakers normally do not speak English fluently and thus they need documentation and user environment in their native tongues. This is important to spread free medical software all over the world.


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