Implementation of an Electronic Medical Record for HIV Programs in Resource-Limited Settings: OpenMRS

Hi All,

The Institute of Human Virology, Nigeria (IHVN) publish a case study on it’s OpenMRS pilot study “Implementation of an Electronic Medical Record for HIV Programs in Resource-Limited Settings” Read full abstract here >> http://www.annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/S2214-9996(15)00693-1/abstract

Program/Project Purpose Nigeria’s HIV treatment scale-up has stressed pre-existing inadequacies in the paper-based health information system (HIS). A 2013 nationwide Quality of Care exercise reported a 21% completion rate for HIV clients’ medical charts. Poor documentation limits the integrity and impact of clinical decision-making, and compromises the quality of services delivered. The Institute of Human Virology Nigeria is a large local NGO that supports healthcare facilities (HCFs) to provide HIV services. We piloted an EMR system at public HCFs in North-Central Nigeria to improve documentation, data reporting and ultimately, patient care.

Structure/Method/Design Between May 2011 and December 2012, a 5-member core team of engineers and programming staff piloted the OpenMRS EMR in 23 of 629 public HCFs in Nasarawa State. We selected 13 Primary Healthcare Centers (PHCs), 8 secondary and 2 tertiary HCFs according to results of baseline assessments for telecommunications/electricity coverage and Human Resource capacity. HCFs with ≥500 HIV-positive clients enrolled were prioritized. Agreements were signed with facility ART Coordinators, and Medical Records heads were designated EMR Focal Persons. Computers, Local Area Networks and internet modems were provided, and site-level pre-implementation training was conducted for each HCF.

Read full abstract here >> http://www.annalsofglobalhealth.org/article/S2214-9996(15)00693-1/abstract

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