Open Source Software

2010 ◽  
pp. 410-422
Author(s):  
David Parry ◽  
Emma Parry ◽  
Phurb Dorj ◽  
Peter Stone
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Health Project

The global burden of disease falls most heavily on people in developing countries. Few resources for healthcare, geographical and infrastructure issues, lack of trained staff, language and cultural diversity and political instability all affect the ability of health providers to support effective and efficient healthcare. Health information systems are a key aspect of improving healthcare, but existing systems are often expensive and unsuitable. Open source software appears to be a promising avenue for quickly and cheaply introducing health information systems that are appropriate for developing nations. This article describes some aspects of open source e-health software that are particularly relevant to developing nations, issues and problems that may arise and suggests some future areas for research and action. Suggestions for critical success factors are included. Much of the discussion will be related to a case study of a training and e-health project, currently running in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

Open Source Software

2011 ◽  
pp. 162-174
Author(s):  
David Parry ◽  
Emma Parry ◽  
Phurb Dorji ◽  
Peter Stone
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Critical Success ◽  
Health Project

The global burden of disease falls most heavily on people in developing countries. Few resources for healthcare, geographical and infrastructure issues, lack of trained staff, language and cultural diversity and political instability all affect the ability of health providers to support effective and efficient healthcare. Health information systems are a key aspect of improving healthcare, but existing systems are often expensive and unsuitable. Open source software appears to be a promising avenue for quickly and cheaply introducing health information systems that are appropriate for developing nations. This paper describes some aspects of open-source e-health software that are particularly relevant to developing nations, issues and problems that may arise and suggests some future areas for research and action. Suggestions for critical success factors are included. Much of the discussion will be related to a case study of a training and E-health project, currently running in the Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.

scholarly journals Open Source Software in Health Information Systems: Opportunities and Challenges

2008 ◽  
Vol 31 (1) ◽  
pp. 36-45
Author(s):  
Hashim M. Twaakyondo ◽  
Juma H. Lungo
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Open Source Software ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Motivating Factors ◽  
Group Discussions ◽  
Study Approach ◽  
Advantages And Disadvantages ◽  
Entry Cost

The paper presents results of a study seeking to identify constraining and motivating factors associated with the adoption and use of Free Open Source Software to computerise health Information Systems in a developing country. The study approach is interpretive research to case study with a triangulation of several qualitative data collection methods such as interviews, group discussions and document analysis. The findings indicate that using open source software has advantages and disadvantages. The advantages are low entry cost to adopting software, possibilities of software localization, avoiding being hostage of proprietary software and foster knowledge acquisition among software developers. The disadvantages are the need for constant internet access, high switching costs, and lack of human resources especially IT professionals to maintain the software since users get more rights in using and maintaining the system. The study concludes that because of the dynamics in health information systems, open source is appropriate.

scholarly journals Hospital and Health Information Systems – Current Perspectives

2011 ◽  
Vol 20 (01) ◽  
pp. 73-82
Author(s):  
M. Ball ◽  
C. Boyer ◽  
P. L. Elkin ◽  
K. Ishikawa ◽  
C. Jaffe ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Developing Nations ◽  
Entire Group ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Government Officials ◽  
Patient Centered ◽  
The Past ◽  
Writing Group

SummaryTo celebrate over 30 years of health information systems’ (HIS) evolution by bringing together pioneers in the field, members of the next generation of leaders, and government officials from several developing nations in Africa to discuss the past, present, and future of HISs.Participants gathered in Le Franschhoek, South Africa for a 2 ½ day working conference consisting of scientific presentations followed by several concurrent breakout sessions. A small writing group prepared draft statements representing their positions on various topics of discussion which were circulated and revised by the entire group.Many new tools, techniques and technologies were described and discussed in great detail. Interestingly, all of the key themes identified in the first HIS meeting held over 30 years ago are still of vital importance today: Patient Centered design, Clinical User Support, Real-time Education, Human-computer Factors and Measuring Clinical User Performance, Meaningful use.As we continue to work to develop next-generation HISs, we must remember the lessons of the past as we strive to develop the solutions for tomorrow.

Security in Health Information Systems

2011 ◽  
pp. 9-15
Author(s):  
Christina Ilioudi ◽  
Athina Lazakidou
Keyword(s):  
Information Technology ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Internet Technology ◽  
Health Plans ◽  
Health Providers ◽  
Web Based ◽  
Vital Component ◽  
Multiple Health

The development of Internet technology and Web-based applications made health information more accessible than ever before from many locations by multiple health providers and health plans. In this chapter, security in health information systems is put into perspective. The further penetration of information technology into healthcare is discussed, and it is concluded that information systems have already become a vital component, not only for the logistics of the healthcare institution but also for the rendering of care and cure.

scholarly journals Success Factors Associated with Health Information Systems Implementation: A study of an Australian Regional Hospital

2007 ◽  
Vol 2 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Carmine Sellitto ◽  
Daniel Carbone
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Successful Implementation ◽  
User Training ◽  
Systems Implementation ◽  
Five Factors ◽  
Information Systems Implementation ◽  
The Impact

This paper identifies five factors from the literature that are important for the successful implementation of health information systems (HIS). The HIS factors identified include stakeholder engagement, the support of management and local champions, understanding HIS imposed change, user training and the impact of government incentives. The paper further explored the introduction of a commonly used HIS (Medical Director®) in a regional Australian hospital and used the implementation factors as a guide for reporting stakeholder perceptions of the system. The implementation of the HIS in view of the systems users was a failure with all factors except the training issues poorly addressed. The study also reports the practicalities encountered with the system’s introduction and documents several new operational factors that were found to be associated with HIS implementation. Overall, the factors provided a sound criterion on which to judge the implementation performance (success or otherwise) of the HIS. The factors identified have the potential to be used as a guide by others who are engaged with information systems in the health area.

Evaluation Methods to Monitor Success and Failure Factors in Health Information System's Development

2010 ◽  
pp. 180-201 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jytte Brender
Keyword(s):  
Project Management ◽  
Information Systems ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Information Needs ◽  
Success Factors ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Failure Criteria ◽  
Evaluation Methods ◽  
Research Needs ◽  
Precise Information

This chapter discusses the extent to which factors known to influence the success and failure of health information systems may be evaluated. More specifically, this is concerned with evaluation of such factors— for screening, diagnostic or preventive purposes—by means of existing evaluation methods designed for users. The author identifies that it is feasible to identify evaluation methods for most success factors and failure criteria. However, there is a need for situational methods engineering as the methods are not dedicated to answering the precise information needs of the project management. Therefore, demands are being placed on the evaluators’ methodical and methodological skills, when evaluating health information systems. The author concludes the chapter by pointing at research needs and opportunities.

Flutrack.org: Open-source and linked data for epidemiology

2016 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 962-974 ◽  
Author(s):  
Konstantinos Chorianopoulos ◽  
Karolos Talvis
Keyword(s):  
Information Systems ◽  
Open Source ◽  
Real Time ◽  
Health Information ◽  
Linked Data ◽  
Health Information Systems ◽  
Surveillance Data ◽  
Time Data ◽  
Public Health Information ◽  
Control And Prevention

Epidemiology has made advances, thanks to the availability of real-time surveillance data and by leveraging the geographic analysis of incidents. There are many health information systems that visualize the symptoms of influenza-like illness on a digital map, which is suitable for end-users, but it does not afford further processing and analysis. Existing systems have emphasized the collection, analysis, and visualization of surveillance data, but they have neglected a modular and interoperable design that integrates high-resolution geo-location with real-time data. As a remedy, we have built an open-source project and we have been operating an open service that detects flu-related symptoms and shares the data in real-time with anyone who wants to built upon this system. An analysis of a small number of precisely geo-located status updates (e.g. Twitter) correlates closely with the Google Flu Trends and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention flu-positive reports. We suggest that public health information systems should embrace an open-source approach and offer linked data, in order to facilitate the development of an ecosystem of applications and services, and in order to be transparent to the general public interest.

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