Thank you to everyone who attended today’s Offline Mode call! We ended up focusing on the Community Outreach use case rather than the Connection Downtime use case. The ability to re-use forms already built in OpenMRS, and to avoid managing another system for outreach, were the 2 major reasons orgs were interested in having offline-outreach built-in to OMRS.
Next steps:
- ICRC, MSF, Madiro, and Ampath are all interested in supporting a squad to work on improving & addressing the Community Outreach use case together.
- We added this to the Squad Dashboard. When ICRC identifies the person who will be the Squad Lead, that person will follow up with the representatives from MSF/Madiro (@michaelbontyes) and Ampath (@rugute) to connect and start working together. In the meantime the #openmrs3-offline slack channel or Talk can be used for further async discussion
Recording:
https://iu.mediaspace.kaltura.com/media/t/1_4jb3tubk
Full Notes:
Copy of Detailed Notes:
- Offline Mode v1 focus was for CHW-type community outreach, away from the health facility
- Regression in RefApp: Was not being maintained in RefApp and caching was having generalized performance impact so was turned off by default.
- ICRC Concerns that came up during O3 Offline Mode v1:
- Caching: Security concern
- Caching: Accidental data loss concern (if cache is cleared)
- Workflow: Have to select patient to go offline in advance (ICRC had to add additional Fx in their distro to bulk-select relevant patients to go offline instead of individually by patient)
- Unclear community direction / co-maintenance plan: Is community interest just in connection down-time at a health facility; or, should we have dedicated Offline-Mode App separate from the RefApp
- e.g. something built on the Android FHIR SDK using same Form Builder / OMRS Forms (using FHIR SDC; would need work to generate this output from form builder).
- Other Orgs’ CHW-esque needs:
- MSF: Cmty-based Cervical CA Screening - enter forms and record f/u appointment date
- Ampath: Remote areas: download specific cohort who I’m visiting tomorrow; perform services; re-sync upon connection.
- PIH: Need to serve this use case somehow.
- Why in RefApp instead of dedicated CHW-style app? Data sync a major concern.
- Ampath: Incorporated into OpenMRS = complete package, rather than having another application + middleware that also needs data sync
- PIH: Using Commcare ++, but integrating data into OMRS has not been easy. mUzima in a few cases but not as mature app as others. So if we had OMRS working in offline mode, especially to use forms that are already created, would be great. Not users asking, central team asking based on difficulty w/ other solutions.
- MSF: Technical support needed to use another app (esp in OSS world) too much. On management side - if we add new solution, more complicated than option of having everything in one package. FHIR offers promise to connect things so ideal to leverage existing options but still integration can be difficult esp for data sync back; data sync difficulties.
- Remaining big Cmty need: Connection downtime at facilities!
- Ampath: Network disconnection during PoC app use - be able to keep using, then sync data back to servers when up
- ICRC: Ideally same thing as in DHIS2: Keeps everything even when downtime; don’t have to select patient in advance to go offline.
- Next Steps together?
- Do folks want to work together on Offline Mode for Community Outreach, within OpenMRS?
- ICRC: Cmty outreach really urgent for our users.
- PIH: we are interested in the outreach use case but won’t be able to prioritize focusing on this work any time soon
- Ampath: Could we focus on the issue of memory? Eg Device minimum requirements (eg RAM, disc)? Not yet specified in cmty. Have seen w/ Medic devices can hang if under-specc’d; requires frequent memory clearing.
- MSF: Should clarify, what should be stored in local memory? Have we built logic of what should be stored offline?
- MSF & Madiro: Would like to join forces and support some spikes with ICRC.
- Ampath: also interested.
- Should review approach and results of Bahmni Connect approach - heavily used Chromium for offline web app use. Wiki; Talk thread
- Suggestion: Create squad; ICRC i.d. Squad leader. Added to Squad Dashboard