Notice C

Promoting the collaborative development of proposals for investments in digital health global goods

Digital Square supports investments in digital health global goods, which are tools that are adaptable to different countries and contexts. Mature digital health global good software is software that is (usually) Free and Open Source (FOSS), is supported by a strong community, has a clear governance structure, is funded by multiple sources, has been deployed at significant scale, is used across multiple countries, has demonstrated effectiveness, is designed to be interoperable, and is an emergent standard application.

We are using an open proposal process. Your concept notes and proposals will be publicly posted, giving you and other submitters the opportunity to find collaborators and provide and receive feedback from your peers.

Concept-Notes (48 total)

Displaying 11 - 15

DHIS2 Analytics Mobile App

Submitted by Rodolfo Melia on Thu, 07/19/2018 - 06:45 Last revised by Digital Square on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 05:59.
Notice C Opportunity: 
Announcement C0: Global Good Software Development and Support

Executive Summary

The Department of Informatics, part of the University of Oslo (UiO), requests funding for the development of a new DHIS2 mobile analytical app.

DHIS2, a data collection and analytical platform developed by UiO, is currently used by 60+  countries as their primary health informatics platform at a national level. The latest web-based version of DHIS2 incorporates significant enhancements in terms of types of visualizations possible, as well as making data ‘social’: comments can be posted, with direct mention to users, charts have long descriptions, and they can be liked and subscribed to. All this generates a data-feed which enriches the curated approach that the dashboard layout represents. As we construct social-based analytics, we need to urgently move into the mobile space: most of the features are not available in the now outdated android-based DHIS2 ‘dashboard’ app.

Enabling the conversation around data in mobile devices is key to remove some of the barriers for the engagement of more users with their data. Mobile devices are now owned by many of the targeted users, and in many cases, they constitute the main computing device a worker uses. Encouraging a culture of data-for-action requires ensuring that all workers of a health system have access to the latest data visualization and all the conversation buzz that the new DHIS2 social media-like mechanisms are generating. We believe that a new, up-to-date mobile app for both mobile platforms (Android and iOS) is a requirement to continue with the progress towards data-for-action. This proposal describes at a high level what that application would contain, and how we foresee achieving such an outcome.

Consortium Team/ Project Execution

Department of Informatics/ University of Oslo (UiO)

The University of Oslo is the developer of DHIS2, an open-source management information system used by over 60 countries as their Health Information System. The department of informatics hosts the core DHIS2 software development team contributes to in-country capacity building and implementation support and promotes DHIS2 as a global public good. The University of Oslo is a leading European university and Norway's largest.

All activities relating to the coordination of the design, and actual software development are to be conducted by DHIS2/ UiO’s Department of Informatics. During the design process, as well as the initial testing, we will be working with the network of HISP agencies (see below).

HISP agencies

The Health Information Systems Program (HISP) coordinates DHIS2 development, which is an open process with developers in Norway, India, Vietnam, Tanzania, Ireland, and the United States. The HISP global network is comprised of 11 in-country and regional organizations providing day-in and day-out direct support to ministries and local implementers.


Project Description

Mobile access to the rich set of charts, tables, and maps that DHIS2 generates is currently limited; an outdated Android app only offers a basic rendering of these, with limited interactivity. New features like interpretations, comments, mentions, subscriptions and messaging are only offered via the web-based version DHIS2. There is no iOS app (for Apple iPhones) currently available.

Projected growth in smartphone usage, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia clearly indicates there will be a significant increase, with forecasted population penetration of 50% and above by 2020. Those users include the workers of a health system across key countries where DHIS2 is deployed. Indeed workers are increasingly having access to smartphones, either as personal devices, or facilitated by their organizations. Access to mobile internet is normally good to very good in urban areas, but variable in rural locations.

DHIS2 is the defacto health system used for data collection and reporting by multiple countries in sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Its analytics tools are constantly evolving, with the latest release incorporating a new generation ‘maps’ app. Large collections of charts, maps and tables exist within all the installations and are used widely via the web-browser. Early next year, a new, much-improved visualizer app is due for release. Multiple initiatives are supporting countries in ensuring that data is used for decision making. This effort is sometimes referred to as ‘data to action’, as it embeds clear indications of how to act in its charts/ tables/ maps when data falls behind certain parameters.

Ensuring that data visualizations and the conversation that revolves around them are accessible across all types of devices, especially mobile ones, is critical. We envision creating a mobile app that contains all analytical renders, messaging and data conversations (interpretations) in a mobile-friendly format, including offline use. The first version of the application design includes three main modules:

1. Analytics feed: Recent versions of DHIS2 have enhanced the capability to create conversations around data. Visualizations allow ‘Interpretations’, which subsequently can be liked and commented on. Those conversations now support direct mentioning of users, which triggers notifications. Additionally, visualizations are either public or shared with specific users, and can be tagged as favorites or subscribed to, which generates a notification whenever there is new activity.

This metadata allows to build a stream of activity targeted to each individual, resulting in a feed of analytical content which should be highly relevant to each user - either they have been explicitly mentioned, they actively follow the specific visualization, or they belong to the targeted user group. Explicit mentions that don’t have an answer can be highlighted for action.

The exchange of viewpoints, cause-effect analysis, and suggested actions through a social-like platform can facilitate an ‘organizational Intelligence’ that is forward-looking. By engaging the different players of an organization, from health workers to supervisors at the district or national level, especially when they represent expert knowledge, a culture of data-for-action can be instigated. Even in those cases where people don’t have data literacy, the free conversation in plain text should help to overcome those limitations.


2. Dashboard: a classic ‘curated’ selection of visualizations organized in a particular order to target a particular group of users. DHIS2 has offered dashboard functionality since the early versions. Today’s DHIS2 web-based dashboards offer enhanced functionality, which needs to be brought to mobile devices: switching to table/map/chart view, description, subscription, interpretations, likes, comments. Favorite dashboards can also be added as widgets in Android clients.

 Preliminary mock-up of how the app could render in mobile devices. The screen depicts a chart at the top of the analytics feed of a user, showing a recent interpretation

 

3. Messages: DHIS2 Messages have been recently revamped to include direct mentions, system alerts and notifications, as well as direct messaging. When opened from within DHIS2, related objects (charts, maps, tables, patient records) can be directly accessed.

As of Sept 2018, we have created a simulation of how the app could work. An interactive prototype is available at https://invis.io/5YMWB7IEB4Q and has already been shared within the DHIS2 community for feedback (see community feedback). A summary PDF displaying key screens of this preliminary design is also available for reference.

 

Use Cases, User Stories

Through our research and DHIS2 implementations at the University of Oslo, we have seen that data analytics can be a major driver of data use at frontline health care and community levels. Specifically, we now see that for community health reporting programs, dashboards are often required for the community health workers (CHW) and their supervisors. Lacking computers, reliable internet, and a constant supply of electricity, the best way to deliver these feedback dashboards are via mobile devices. For example in Kenya, JSI and UiO are piloting the cStock community logistics reporting system. Using the DHIS2 android dashboard application, CHWs are enabled to report on their key commodity stock levels and submit resupply requests to prevent stockouts. In this case, the CHW and their supervisors have a dashboard that monitors stock status, reporting rates, stock availability, and alerts on stockouts. These dashboards are delivered to the CHW and supervisors using the current DHIS2 android dashboard app.

The current DHIS2 android dashboard app, developed nearly five years ago, is now based on antiquated technology and does not deliver most of the functionality that is available on DHIS2 dashboards in the web browser, such as new chart types, interpretations, and filters. For the example above, the successful resupply of vital commodities to CHW is dependent on these dashboards.

Likewise, in Zambia, we have seen that using the current dashboards app by community leaders, such as Chiefs,  drove a positive impact in community sanitation adoption and improvements in community health outcomes. While not directly reporting any data themselves, Chiefs are the actors in the community that can best mobilize people to take collective action, and we now see that the feedback dashboards in large part drive their actions. To the extent that it is now policy in Zambia that every Chief has a tablet and is able to view health and sanitation dashboards for their chiefdoms. Kenya CHWs are in a similar situation , and while the dashboard app that both countries are using is antiquated, feature-poor, and no longer supported by the core DHIS2 development team, there is already tangible proof of how much it has helped, and how the new web-based dashboards with improved analytics, features and functionalities could make an even greater positive impact.

Digital Health Technologies

The DHIS2 data model for analytics is relatively simple: a collection of analytical objects (charts, tables, maps) are part of a dashboard or the interpretation feed. A collection of charts, tables, and maps make up the interpretation feed of a user, depending on his/her permissions. Each analytic object contains 2 definition components: (1) a data file, which includes all values to be rendered, and (2) a metadata description of the rendering style: type of chart, legends, axis min/ max, etc.

To re-use the current DHIS web components and ensure the long-term sustainability of the new proposed app we plan to use Progressive Web technology. This allows to re-use an estimated 60% of the code written on the web, and by creating appropriate layouts and controls for a mobile experience, delivering a mobile app for both, Android and Apple iOS devices.

A Progressive Web App (PWA) looks and behaves as if it is a native mobile app when used on a smartphone or tablet. PWAs can work offline by using the storage provided by modern mobile browsers. Most functionalities that are typical of a native app, like push notifications or the availability of an App Icon in the home screen of the mobile device are standard for PWAs, making the user experience just like that of a mobile app from an app store. Major benefits include cross-platform compatibility (the app will work in both, Apple iOS devices as well as Android devices), bypassing the need for an app store for distribution/ installation. More importantly, there is a lower development cost as it uses web technology, which also ensures sustainability given the high level of reusability between web and mobile.


Community Feedback

The development of DHIS2 can be characterized as community-driven: users, implementors and developers are constantly interacting and working together using multiple digital channels and face-to-face events. The current design has already been shared with Country/HISP agencies of the consortium, as well as different organizations which are known to be DHIS2 analytics power users.

Consultation plan:

  1. on month 1, publish a revised design for public consultation (Month 1). We may use the DHIS2.org/mobile sub-site.

  2. As we build, demo different design/ working prototypes to different groups for feedback (academies, online calls, other forums)

  3. After releasing the app - full review of version 1.0

To date (Sept 1/ 2018), we have reached directly to over 100+ people with the current design, but only received limited feedback. Feedback deadline is due by Sept 21.  We think this is normal, and we expect to receive significant comments only once the first version of the app goes live.


Self-assessment on the Global Goods Maturity Model

Results of the self-assessment are shown below. The link provided has a copy of the completed self-assessment. DHIS2 Sept 2 - GGMM link.

Results of self-assessment conducted for DHIS2 as a global good.
Evaluated on Sept 2018 using Global Good Maturity Model - v1.1




Digital Health Atlas

Pending (it may not apply as this is new software, rather than an actual implementation)


Work plan and Schedule

This proposal encompasses activities for 12 months. A summary Gantt chart is presented below. (source: draft gantt)

 

Project Deliverables

The main outcome of this project is an initial ‘Version 1.0’ of a new analytics app. We project activities for 12 months. The actual software development process will be structured following Agile principles.

Milestone

Detailed Activities

Timeline:

Month 1-12

Who

Design finalization

  • community consultation (round 2, public)

  • design finalization

Already started. To be finalized in Month 2

UiO

HISP chapters

Analytics partners

Development prep work

  • Hiring of developers

  • technical specs for build
    (development tasks)

Months 1-3

UiO

Development

Software development structured as a series of sprints

Month 3-9
(7 months)

UiO

Testing

  • internal testing by dev team

  • testing by consortium partners

Month 9-12

Alpha & Beta Testing program

Piloting

  • Selection of 3-4 contexts where to pilot the functionality

  • Field testing

Month 10-12

Partners

Official launch

-   Finalization of documentation

-   Official release (will be rolled out as part of an official DHIS2 release)

Month 12

UiO

Evaluation

  • Compile lessons learned from field testing

  • functionality enhancement documentation

Month 12

UiO and Partners

DHIS2 Analytics mobile app as a global good

As smartphone penetration continues increasing in Africa and Asia, we urgently need to bring DHIS analytics to the small screen. Charts, tables and maps together with all the conversation that the new interpretations and messaging features generate, need to be taken to users’ mobile phones to increase their engagement and use of data in their day-to-day work.


Digital Square investment - specifics

Digital Square investment will fund the development of version 1.0 of a new generation DHIS2 mobile analytic app, bringing to iOS and Android devices all the power of DHIS2 analytics, including their social aspect through the use of interpretations, notifications and messaging.



Tagging

Keywords  from WHO

  • 4.1.3 Data synthesis and visualization

  • 4.3 Location mapping

Other keywords

  • DHIS2

  • Mobile data access

  • Data use

  • Socialization of data

Application Status: 
Approved - partially funded

DHIS2 as an analytics, reporting and visualization solution for OpenIMIS

Submitted by Harsh Atal on Fri, 07/20/2018 - 04:10 Last revised by Digital Square on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 05:59.
Notice C Opportunity: 
Announcement C1: Modular transformation of openIMIS

DHIS2 as an analytics, reporting and visualization solution for OpenIMIS

Executive Summary

HISP India proposes to develop the OpenIMIS analytics solution using DHIS2 as the core and primary platform. DHIS2 is an open source data warehousing platform functional in more than 70 countries around the world. Rationale for making this choice is twofold - one, because of the generic nature of DHIS2 as a configurable system and two, the scope for development of new functionalities through plugins/apps. We plan to build the system on robust foundations and with a proven track record for functioning as a data collection and dissemination tool.

Three options have been considered in response to the call : 1) Upgrade IMIS, 2) Rewrite IMIS on a new platform 3) Build on DHIS2. We have chosen option 3 because of the following reasons:

  • DHIS2 is a generic tool and has scope of both customization within the platform and new development using plugins/apps.

  • Using DHIS2 enables us to leverage a mature body of work already running in more than 70 countries. We can build upon a robust user base.

  • Customizable nature of DHIS2 means several countries specific requirements can be modelled within the platform without changing the core base.

  • DHIS2 has an existing vibrant community of health programme, developers and implementers and can be approached for support.

  • Since the DHIS2 is already being used for HMIS in many countries, and a key function of IMS would be to integrate/interoperate with HMIS data, this approach will be an effective approach to build this linkage.

We understand that DHIS2 has previously not been used in the health insurance domain, and there would be the need to significantly enhance the business understanding of insurance in this design and development process. To address this gap, we propose to engage extensively with the community, especially those involved with health insurance in low and middle income countries (LMICs).

HISP India proposes to carry out this project in multiple phases encouraging a collaborative approach wherein the stakeholders and implementation partners provide the necessary feedback for sound and comprehensive assimilation of multi country use cases.

HISP India proposes to engage the wider community through direct meetings with the stakeholders as well as users of the application. This meetings can be in person or through webinars/fortnightly calls as per situation.

Application Status: 
Pending Review & Investment

DHIS2 FHIR interface

Submitted by Scott Russpatrick on Mon, 07/09/2018 - 04:43 Last revised by Digital Square on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 05:59.
Primary Author: Scott Russpatrick
Notice C Opportunity: 
Announcement C0: Global Good Software Development and Support

Executive Summary

University of Oslo (UiO) requests support for the development of a HL7 FHIR interface to make a subset of DHIS2 resources as FHIR resources accessible through a FHIR API.  We would like to undertake this project in partnership with other organisations who have experience working with DHIS2 and FHIR (for example Jembi Systems and Intrahealth).

Whereas the historic use of DHIS2 over the past more than 20 years has been primarily confined to aggregate health data, DHIS2 has in recent years developed an individual level data component (tracker) which has seen significant uptake.  Our aims with this project are:

(i) make interoperability with DHIS2 tracker more seamless by exposing an internationally recognized standard interface;

(ii) apply learnings to strengthen the underlying tracker data model in line with international best practice; and

(iii) foster a community of practice around the use of DHIS2 tracker within broader health information system architecture environments.

Background

The DHIS2 has a flexible data model and an API which lends itself to building layered functionality on top of it.  What is referred to as "DHIS2-as-a-platform" strategy.

FHIR is a relatively new and exciting HL7 standard which is enjoying substantial uptake.  Many health information systems developed in the past few years are either implementing aspects of the FHIR standard or have a strategy to do so.  The ability to interact with DHIS2 using FHIR should open new opportunities for interoperability with other systems in the domain.

A challenge is that both DHIS2 and FHIR are open ended systems which can be profiled and extended in an infinite number of ways.  The data model of the DHIS2 is highly configurable with few fixed attributes on its resources.  For example there is not a pre-defined Patient concept within DHIS2; rather the building blocks with which one can be defined.  Similarly FHIR provides base building blocks which need to be further "profiled" to facilitate actual interoperability between systems.  There is no prospect, nor any necessary value, of a simple mapping of all of the DHIS2 data model on to all of FHIR.  We envisage an incremental process whereby an initial set of base FHIR resources are the immediate focus - such as Patient and a minimal set of related resources such as CarePlan.

There are other FHIR resources and profiles related to health facilities and care providers (such as mCSD) which are not directly patient related but which would also benefit from DHIS2 support.  This particular project will maintain the Patient resource as its central focus, but the resulting software artefacts could also be used for supporting additional FHIR based  profiles such as mCSD, mACM and emerging FHIR work on aggregate data.

Existing health information architecture projects such as openHIE have defined a number of patient based workflows using FHIR and IHE profiles such as PIXm and PDQm.  Exposing DHIS2 tracker entities as Patient FHIR resources will facilitate the participation of DHIS2 in these workflows.  

There are a number of existing software projects such as the FHIR HAPI server, the HEARTH FHIR server and the openHIM, which may provide an infrastructural base for the proposed DHIS2 FHIR interface.  We will use available software where appropriate rather than reinvent the wheel.

Consortium Team

This project will be coordinated by the UiO DHIS2 management team. Design and development will be driven by the consortium we assemble for this project.  The team will consist of DHIS2 tracker experts from the UIO DHIS2 core developer team together with FHIR domain experts.  Much of this expertise and experience exists outside of the UIO group so the first task, if the project is approved, will be to engage with other potential partners such as Intrahealth and Jembi systems.  

Project Description

The project will include an early design stage where technology choices will be made and the initial scope of targeted FHIR resources and capabilities finalised.  Specific outputs will be:

(i) a robust and extensible software component which exposes a FHIR API at the front end  and communicates with the DHIS2 web api under the hood.  This component may be composed of existing software components;

(ii) an implementation and migration toolkit  to assist implementers with configuration (for example a DHIS2 web app and standard metadata packages).;

(iii) documentation on the approach to extending the interface to support additional FHIR capabilities.  

There are a number of design decisions related to the software component which we do not preempt at this stage.  For example

(i) the FHIR REST API service could be assembled from scratch or could make use of the java based HAPI server or the node.js based HEARTH server;

(ii) the software component could provide a thin facade and pass through requests to the DHIS2 as it's backing store, or it could maintain its own local FHIR repository mirroring the content of the DHIS2;

(iii) the software component could provide its own authentication and transaction logging functionality or could make use of a third party component such as the openHIM.

 

It is our intention that important strategic decisions such as these will be taken as part of the community engagement period of project evaluation.

 

Tagging

Applies to 4.0 Data services of the classificaiton of digital health interventions. Specifically applies to 4.2.2 on semantic interoperability and 4.4.1 on data exchange across systems 

DHIS2, Interoperability, Standards, FHIR, Global Public Good, Security 

Application Status: 
Out of Scope

DHIS2 Generic Structured Feedback via Job-Aids

Submitted by Megan Shea on Fri, 07/20/2018 - 13:00 Last revised by Digital Square on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 05:58.
Primary Author: Cristina Lussiana
Notice C Opportunity: 
Announcement C0: Global Good Software Development and Support

DHIS2 Generic Structured Feedback via Job-Aids Proposal

University of Oslo, MSI, CHAI, GAVI, HISP SA, UNICEF-ESARO, PSI

Executive Summary

The University of Oslo (UiO), Maries Stopes International (MSI), Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI), Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI), Health Information Systems Program South Africa (HISP SA), UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (UNICEF-ESARO), and Population Services International (PSI) consortium requests funding for the development and launch of a generic structured feedback job-aid module as a core component of DHIS2. DHIS2’s significant global implementation scale is supporting countries towards improved health outcomes through better use of Health Management Information System (HMIS). However, most of the data available in local DHIS2 instances are related to disease surveillance, and improved health outcomes are only partially achieved if quality of healthcare is not taken into account. In order to improve quality of healthcare with DHIS2, health managers, health providers and community health workers (CHWs) should benefit from tailored on-site feedback after a quality assessment, such a supervision visit, is conducted. By developing the capability to apply structured feedback job-aids as a core functionality of DHIS2, users will be offered the possibility to (i) assess health providers and community health workers (CHWs) against desired outcomes, (ii) improve healthcare performance through tailored on-site feedback via job-aids displayed interactively or shared via common messaging applications and (iii) flag certain conditions that require management attention. This functionality can also be applied to other contexts and scenarios as long as the DHIS2 user desires to trigger a structured feedback job-aid when a condition is met for a DHIS2 object (or a group of DHIS2 objects). This functionality will ultimately support district and national health officers in their performance management activities.

Expected outcomes include (i) the development and launch of core DHIS2 functionality for a generic structured feedback job-aid, and (ii) the promotion and sustained use of the developed functionality in four different contexts to document different use cases of the functionality (i.e. quality of healthcare improvement, management of health commodities, point-of-care treatment, etc.). The primary goal is to establish the desired functionality in core DHIS2 that can be used in different contexts and different health service delivery channels.

UiO, MSI, CHAI, GAVI, HISP SA, UNICEF-ESARO, and PSI propose a one-year period to (i) develop the generic structured feedback job-aid functionality in the core of DHIS2, (ii) launch and pilot its applications in at least four different contexts, and (iii) evaluate the functionality based on users’ feedback in order to further enhance features.

Consortium Team

PSI will lead a consortium team composed of:

  • University of Oslo (UiO) hosts the core DHIS2 software development team, contributes to in-country capacity building and implementation support and promotes DHIS2 as a global public good. UiO brings the technical know-how of DHIS2 as well as the steering direction of enhancements of DHIS2 to better serve the needs of DHIS2 implementers and users. See http://www.dhis2.org for further information.

  • Marie Stopes International (MSI) is an international non-governmental organisation based in London, UK providing contraception and safe abortion services in 37 countries around the world. MSI as an organisation lobbies in favour of access to abortion, and provides a variety of sexual and reproductive healthcare services including advice, vasectomies, and abortions in the UK and other countries where it is legal to do so.

  • Clinton Health Access Initiative (CHAI) is a global health organization committed to saving lives and reducing the burden of disease in low-and middle-income countries, while strengthening the capabilities of governments and the private sector in those countries to create and sustain high-quality health systems that can succeed without our assistance. As part of our vision, CHAI works closely with governments to deploy information systems, including DHIS2, to support data collection and management, patient tracking, health surveillance, lab management, and supply chain management across disease and program areas, with a specific focus on building capacity of decision makers in using data and systems effectively for improved health outcomes.

  • Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance (GAVI) is an international organisation - a global Vaccine Alliance, bringing together public and private sectors with the shared goal of creating equal access to new and underused vaccines for children living in the world’s poorest countries, currently 68. This model was designed to leverage not just financial resources but expertise too, to help make vaccines more affordable, more available and their provision more sustainable, by working towards a point where developing countries can pay for themselves. Coverage and equity are at the core of our strategy and increasing effectiveness and efficiency of immunisation delivery as an integrated part of strengthened health systems is part of our systems goal. Improving quality of immunisation services and use of immunisation data is part of this effort.

  • Health Information Systems Program South Africa (HISP SA), a South African-based NGO, has over 2 decades of experience in the development and implementation of sustainable and integrated Health Information Systems. HISP SA has become the leader in DHIS2 implementation in South Africa, where systems are well developed, mature and sophisticated, and also through its supporting role to African neighbours and beyond, into 19 other countries.

  • UNICEF-ESARO is UNICEF’s regional office covering 21 countries in the East and Southern Africa region. UNICEF is a UN organization mandated by the United Nations General Assembly to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to help meet their basic needs and to expand their opportunities to reach their full potential, with offices in 190 countries worldwide. UNICEF has a long term agreement with the University of Oslo on the development of several DHIS2 applications and works with Ministries of Health to contextualize and embed them in national health system processes.

  • Population Services International (PSI) is a global non-profit public health organization based in Washington, DC and active in promoting healthier lives in 50 country offices. PSI utilizes DHIS2 as the global management information system, with approximately 3,000 users across over 30 countries. Since 2013, PSI has worked closely with the UiO to design and introduce system enhancements. PSI brings skills in DHIS2 implementation, strengthening use of data and staff capacity building. As a nonprofit DHIS2 implementer, PSI brings to the table a wealth of expertise from a system user perspective. See www.psi.org for further information.

PSI is the organizational management lead and point of contact for the proposal.

Project Description

Problem Statement

Poor quality of care results in poor health outcomes. Improving and monitoring the quality of care in the healthcare sector in Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) presents unique challenges. Key constraints include the lack of enforcement of standards of clinical procedures and lack of or delayed performance feedback. To address these issues, PSI created an electronic mobile-based Android application linked with DHIS2 used to improve quality of healthcare, the Health Network Quality Improvement System (HNQIS). The application supports healthcare supervisors to (i) assess providers’ and CHWs’ quality of care against clinical standards, and (ii) improve providers’ quality of care through tailored on-site feedback. Launched in 2015, HNQIS has been used to improve quality of care at 8,000 outlets across 13 health areas in the public and private health sectors of 19 countries. Despite these encouraging results, HNQIS is a custom application: this represents a barrier for other DHIS2 users to adopt all or some functionalities that are built into HNQIS and also makes it not sustainable in the long-term due to the maintenance required to update the app when there are new DHIS2 releases.

Examples of structured feedback available in HNQIS:


Examples of job-aids available in HNQIS:


Technical Approach: The need for core DHIS2 functionality supporting a structured feedback job-aid

Building on the experience and results of PSI’s use of HNQIS, the consortium wants to embed into DHIS2 core development a generic version of the HNQIS functionality. This generic functionality can be described as the ability to trigger feedback / present job-aids when a certain condition is met during or after completing an action, i.e. after finishing a supervision, after obtaining certain results during a Data Quality Assessments, etc. As part of the proposed functionality, the collection of feedback suggestions should be shareable via any installed messaging applications in the mobile device.


Possible uses of this functionality include:

  • Improving quality of healthcare at provider and CHW level by offering tailored, on-site and offline feedback, supported by job-aids after a quality assessment is completed,

  • Improved management and allocation of health commodities by automatic alerts on stock consumption and caseloads,

  • Improved management of patient care through treatment algorithms to support medication based on national protocols. This could be amplified with job-aids in the form of medication administration for the patient

Goal

The consortium wants to establish structured feedback and job-aid functionality as part of the core DHIS2 functionality, so it can be used in different contexts and through different health service delivery channels to provide automatic feedback when a condition is met during or after the finalization of a DHIS2 event.

Objectives

The structured feedback job-aid functionality will deliver on the following capabilities:

  • Display structured feedback when a certain condition is met for a DHIS2 object or group of objects, after or during the completion of an event,

  • Display interactive job-aids (images, videos, hyperlinks, documents, etc),

  • Share feedback and job-aids via common messaging applications or channels,

  • Allow user-friendly configuration of the triggers, messages, and format of the structured feedback to be presented to users.

Current requirements based on HNQIS and discussions with partners suggest that the functionality will be limited to DHIS2 Programs; however during the requirements gathering phase, consortium partners will be open to explore making this functionality applicable to DHIS2 Datasets, as well.


Consortium partners will pilot the functionality in at least four different contexts by sharing frameworks for making use of this functionality for common use cases, including quality improvement.

Project Deliverables

Milestone

Detailed Activities

Timeline:

Month 1-12

Lead Consortium Partner

Conceptualization

  • Finalize needs assessment from consortium partners and members from the DHIS2 community

  • Define requirement with UiO, with input from consortium partners

Month 1-2

PSI

Development

  • Develop the functionality in core DHIS2, and DHIS2 new Android app

Month 2-9
(7 months)

PSI and UiO

Testing

  • Internal testing by consortium partners

Month 9-10

MSI

CHAI

PSI

HISP-SA

Launch and pilot

  • Selection of four different contexts where to pilot the functionality

  • Field testing

Month 10-11

MSI

CHAI

PSI

HISP-SA

Evaluation

  • Compile lessons learned from field testing the use cases for further functionality enhancement

Month 12

PSI


Consortium partners are committed to inform further functionality enhancements through alternative sources of funding and will undertake the following activities at the end of the one-year milestone:

Continuous improvement

  • Include lessons learned from use cases into a roadmap for functionality enhancement

  • Release of enhanced version of the functionality

Month 13-15

UiO

Promotion

  • Development of promotion and global user materials

  • Promotion of the functionality at DHIS2 Community of Practice, conferences, academies, working groups, etc.

  • Work with Ministries of Health and DHIS2 users to promote functionality and advocate for incorporation into country information systems

Month 16-18

All

Workplan and Budget

Detailed Workplan

A preliminary version of the GANTT chart for conceptualizing, developing, launching and evaluating the DHIS2 Generic Structured Feedback via Job-Aids is available here.

Budget Narrative

Please see attached for Budget and Budget Narrative.

Sustainability Plan

The budget will mainly be utilized to develop and launch the proposed functionality, including some field testing. More extensive field testing and piloting will be conducted using alternative sources of funding from consortium partners. We envision that the funding from this proposal will serve to create the necessary DHIS2 backend logic and associated rendering in DHIS2 standard Android applications. It is our goal that this functionality will provide Ministries of Health and DHIS2 users an added insight on performance management with DHIS2. This will enable them to achieve the desired health outcomes faster. In case long-term support is needed, we will seek core funding from donors and other in-country financing mechanisms.

2-Sentence Overview

Including generic structured feedback and job-aids as part of the core DHIS2 system and companion DHIS2 Android App would allow Health Supervisors and other field workers like CHWs to obaing instant, on-site and offline feedback as their conduct their day-to-day work. Feedback and job-aids would be presented to the mobile users as DHIS2 events are conducted or completed, as per  the module configuration. The use-cases for the proposed functionality varies greatly according to the context where it gets deployed: examples include providing tailored on-site feedback supported by job-aids after a quality assessment, automatic identification of data quality gaps with suggested tasks for action, and point-of-care treatment algorithms for self-administered drugs. These processes can be enhanced by the inclusion in-app of job-aids.

Digital Square will fund the necessary development work in terms of DHIS2 back-end, DHIS2 front-end and Android, and field testing necessary to release a stable and functioning version of the functionality ready to be adopted by any DHIS2 user.

Community Feedback

The number of partners included in the consortium is an indication of how welcome a DHIS2 Generic Structured Feedback via Job-Aids is. Other partners of the global DHIS2 community who have provided positive feedbacks include:

  • Ryan Williams, Technical Officer at the Global Malaria Programme of World Health Organisation, Geneva, Switzerland

  • Dr Pascoa Wate, Head of the Department of Maternal and Child Health of the Ministry of Health, Maputo, Mozambique

  • Dr Trymore Chawrura, Deputy Director of the Ministry of Health and Child Care, Harare, Zimbabwe

  • Dr Joris Likwela Losimba, Head of the National Malaria Control Program, Kinshasa, DRC

  • Dr Huy Rekolm, Director of the CNM National Center for Parasitology, Entomology and Malaria Control, Phnom Penh, Cambodia

  • Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria representatives in Geneva, Switzerland

  • World Bank and Save the Children representatives in Yangoon, Myanmar

  • USAID Sexual and Reproductive Health Department representatives in Washington, DC, USA


Consortium partners are in regular touch with other members of the broader digital health community and will continue seeking feedback and inputs especially during the Conceptualization and Evaluation phases of the proposal. Examples of engagements with the broader digital health community include ongoing joint projects, conferences, workshops and events.

Use of Digital Health Technologies: Use Cases, User Stories

Thanks to the development of the DHIS2 Generic Structured Feedback via Job-Aids, members of the broader digital health community will be able to address a variety of challenges. These include:

  • MSI: This new functionality will support MSI in its continuous goal to improve the quality of healthcare services received by our clients. All the providers working within MSI are assessed and supervised on regular basis by our Clinical and Operational team in the field on the quality of the services they delivered. By the scale and critical role of these quality assessments, such a functionality could represent a significant step forward for MSI to improve the quality of healthcare services delivered in an efficient manner. Having access to interactive job aids such as video or image will enable our team to provide effective and impactful mentoring to our providers. Furthermore, the automatic triggering of the required job aids based on the results of the assessment has the potential to increase the efficiency of the visit by allowing a smooth feedback interactions.

  • CHAI: CHAI's global malaria program works to support government malaria programs in over 20 countries around the world, providing day-to-day operational support to programs and building strong relationships over years of engagement to become a trusted partner. As part of this work, CHAI has been working with national and sub-national (provincial/district)-level government staff across countries to provide more effective supervision to improve malaria case management, vector control implementations, commodity management, and monitoring and evaluation. DHIS2 is widely used by the countries we work with as a reporting and surveillance system, with valuable information across malaria program activities. These improved functionality within DHIS2 would particularly be useful to (a) assess health worker practices across malaria activities by using the existing information within DHIS2 and information collected during supervision visits, (b) to provide more targeted guidance on what skills and service delivery need to be improved by health workers, and (c) to provide guidance and mentoring on how to improve these skills and services.

  • GAVI: GAVI is committed to support countries in improving immunisation services for better access. Interactive Job-Aid App will help disseminate WHO recommended standards for care including immunisation services at the point of services. Majority of the countries supported by Gavi use HSS grant funding for supervision. Digital support for supervision is more than needed to improve their outcome and ensure efficient use of resources. Structured Feedback App that could be used for supervision of immunisation services alone or on integrated manner will be made available for interested countries and can be a game changer in improving quality of care, thus increasing demand for immunisation.

  • HISP SA: There is progressively growing interest in providing information technology tools to support the work of Community Health Workers (CHWs). HISP SA and its clients in South Africa and other African Countries will benefit from the new functionality to improve the quality of health services provided to clients. Quality of Care are high on the agenda of the National Health Insurance initiative in South Africa and efforts to ensure quality of care to clients could gain major support in South Africa. Guidelines for specific disease management protocols exist but individual clinicians are not assessed on how well they execute these guidelines, mainly because this is a time consuming exercise and there are not remedial training aids available. South Africa is rolling out a CHW initiative to measure their performance and this functionality will compliment the existing work. Having access to an assessment tool and interactive job aids such as video or images will enable us to strengthen the quality of care provided to clients.

  • UNICEF-ESARO: UNICEF has been working with UiO on the development of three apps for DHIS2: 1) a Scorecard app to provide an overview of relative performance on key indicators at different levels of the health system to improve accountability for results, 2) A Bottleneck Analysis app to facilitate a systematic method of using data to inform health planning and monitoring, particularly at the district-level, and 3) a linked Action Tracker app to support the monitoring of health plans and analysis of their effect in reducing health system bottlenecks. Each of these applications could benefit from this new functionality by linking specific conditions to follow-up prompts. For instance, if performance on scorecard or bottleneck indicators varies by an unreasonable amount for period to period, this could be flagged for corrective action. Or, if actions to remedy bottlenecks are significantly off track, management could be prompted to take action. In addition, this functionality will be beneficial to our work to support improved clinical care and decision making for maternal and newborn health.

  • PSI: The use of the HNQIS app has contributed to better health outcomes by improving quality of health service provision. Feedback on the use of the HNQIS app includes: 1) Health provider in Kenya: “I like the videos since I remember what I see more than what I am told. It also takes a short time to receive feedback; then I can get back to attending to the rest of my patients.”, 2) Health supervisor from Mozambique: “I like using the tablet because it’s quick, easy and practical. Also, I can show and discuss results with nurses directly on the tablet and I can forget about papers, even when I have to share action plans. I wish we had more videos in the app.”, and 3) National QA officer from Uganda: “Using data properly is powerful. HNQIS and DHIS2 unquestionably optimize the process of reading data and enhancing support supervision by driving evidence-based decisions, changing system designs, and combatting low skill levels.” Maintenance and upgrade costs make the app not sustainable in the long-term. The development of the proposed functionality will enable the configuration of a metadata package that can be easily deployed as a generic Quality Improvement app that can be adopted by any DHIS2 user for conducting supportive supervision visits into their local DHIS2 instance.


Self Assessment of Global Goods Maturity Model

DHIS2 - Digital Health Software: Global Good Maturity Model - v1.1

Application Status: 
Out of Scope

eLMIS FE: Health Facility Level Supply Chain Logistics

Submitted by ashraf ashraf on Fri, 07/20/2018 - 13:35 Last revised by Digital Square on Mon, 04/15/2019 - 05:59.
Notice C Opportunity: 
Announcement C0: Global Good Software Development and Support

Executive Summary

As logistics management information systems mature at central and regional levels, data collection, aggregation, reporting, and use at the health clinic level becomes the biggest impediment to improved performance management and monitoring. To overcome this impediment, John Snow Inc. (JSI) developed an electronic logistics management information system Facility Edition (eLMIS FE) in Zambia with USAID funding. Currently 500 health facilities in Zambia are using eLMIS FE to automate the day-to-day inventory management and dispensing of health commodities to patients. The Ministry of Health (MoH) plans to roll-out eLMIS FE to the rest of the country over the next few years. In addition, Zanzibar and Swaziland are piloting the use of eLMIS FE in their clinics and several other countries have expressed an interest in learning more about eLMIS FE.

This proposal is to enhance eLMIS FE so that it is available as an open source global public good by documenting its API interfaces, updating the installation instructions, packaging it for download and use, and building an interface with OpenLMIS version 3. When completed, it will be freely downloadable from GitHub for integration into a country’s logistics or health management information system. For countries implementing OpenLMIS version 3, they will be able to easily adopt eLMIS FE for clinic level inventory management and dispensing of commodities. The net result will be that any country in need of an advanced logistics system to manage their commodities will find one freely available for download.

Consortium

JSI

JSI, the prime for this award, is a health care consulting and research organization dedicated to improving the health of underserved individuals and communities around the world. JSI has many years of experience strengthening supply chain systems in lower and middle income countries and implementing health and logistics management information systems. JSI implemented eLMIS 2.0, which is an enhanced and customized version of OpenLMIS 2.0, nationwide in Tanzania, Zambia, Zanzibar, and Cote d’Ivoire. JSI is actively supporting the current users of eLMIS 2.0. JSI developed and implemented eLMIS FE in Zambia and is leading the pilots in Zanzibar and Swaziland. Moreover, through the Family Planning and Logistics Management (FPLM) projects, the Deliver Project, the USAID | DELIVER PROJECT, and the SCMS Project JSI developed many software applications for supply chain management, all of which were made available as “public domain” software. Examples include Supply Chain Manager (SCMgr), the Pakistan vaccine logistics management information system (vLMIS), the Pakistan contraceptive logistics management information system (cLMIS), the Zimbabwe delivery team topping up software (DTTU), PipeLine, the procurement planning and management report software (PPMR), the procurement planning and monitoring report for malaria software (PPMRm), HIV test kit forecasting software (ProQ), and laboratory reagent forecasting software (ForLab).

JSI will manage this work out of its Arlington, VA office and utilize subject matter experts and IT resources in its offices in Zambia and Ethiopia.

Ashraf Islam, JSI’s team leader for software development group, will manage this global goods project. Mr. Islam will be assisted by Wendy Bomett, MIS Director/Zambia, and Chris Opit, IT and M&E Director/Zambia, who will manage the local development/enhancements to eLMIS FE to make it a global good and Elias Muluneh, Sr., a programmer analyst from the Arlington, VA office, who will guide the overall software development efforts. CVs of these key personnel are attached.

JSI will collaborate with the OpenLMIS Community and VillageReach in particular to build out the interface with OpenLMIS version 3. JSI is already working with VillageReach on the OpenLMIS Gap Analysis project that is bringing eLMIS 2.0 features into OpenLMIS version 3. JSI will leverage that on-going partnership to develop the eLMIS FE interface.

VillageReach

VillageReach was established in 2000 to address the challenges of delivering quality healthcare at the last mile to the most underserved communities. VillageReach works with ministries of health to solve healthcare delivery challenges in low-resource environments. In addition, VillageReach serves as the current steward for the OpenLMIS community and for software development of the re-architected OpenLMIS version 3 and subsequent releases. As OpenLMIS steward, VillageReach provides key leadership roles within the OpenLMIS community. VillageReach manages the software development and community coordination by supporting the core community processes and managing the software development across the four development teams.

Josh Zamor, the OpenLMIS Architect, and Mary Jo Kochendorfer, the OpenLMIS Product Manager, will provide guidance and advice on global standards and open source considerations for eLMIS FE. CVs for both are attached.

Project Description

eLMIS FE enables a health clinic to effectively and efficiently manage its inventory of health commodities by recording the receipt of supplies at a bulk store; issues to internal sub stores such as a pharmacy, ward, or lab testing center; and ultimately dispensing to patients through fulfilment of prescriptions, injections, and lab tests. It automates the daily activity registers, bin cards, and other manual paper forms and registers at the facility. It reports on-hand balances and quantities dispensed, tracks lots by expiry and batch, and records physical inventories and adjustments for losses and transfers. It automatically submits daily on-hand balances to the eLMIS central edition to enable national visibility. At the end of the month, eLMIS FE automatically produces a monthly report and requisition (R&R) that the facility in-charge reviews, approves, and electronically submits to the eLMIS central edition (CE). eLMIS FE runs over a local area network (LAN) at the facility so that multiple PCs or tablets running in store rooms and dispensing points can connect to a single database. This provides true offline capability to the health clinic since internet connectivity is only needed for a few minutes each day to submit the daily stock status report to the central eLMIS and for a few minutes at the end of the month to sync the eLMIS FE metadata with the central eLMIS metadata and to submit the R&R containing the requisition for the next period.

eLMIS FE is entirely designed, developed and supported by Africa-based programmers, business analysts, subject matter experts, and project managers. The team developed every user story with clinic users involved. eLMIS FE started locally and is now ready to share its success globally, as a global good. 

Problem Statement

Currently, the eLMIS FE implemented in Zambia, Swaziland, and Zanzibar is not packaged in a way that makes it easily accessible to those who want to use it and it only interfaces with eLMIS CE. eLMIS CE is based on earlier version of OpenLMIS (version 2) which has been rearchitected to OpenLMIS version 3.

eLMIS FE syncs with eLMIS CE to retrieve all of its metadata. This ensures seamless electronic “Requisition” submission by each health facility to the central eLMIS and allows an integrated requisition workflow across levels-- authorization, review, approval, conversion to an actual order, and submission of that order electronically to a warehouse management system (WMS) for actual pick/pack/delivery operations.

This seamless workflow is possible because of metadata sync between CE, FE and WMS, that ensures, for example, that the same product code is used by CE, FE and the WMS. The same applies for all other metadata as well with CE being the system of record and FE syncing with it.

With OpenLMIS rolling out a new version, countries who are using FE will want to be able to sync with that version and be able to submit “requisitions” to OpenLMIS version 3 and countries contemplating OpenLMIS version 3 may want to be able to take advantage of FE’s facility-level capabilities. Currently, an interface between FE and OpenLMIS version 3 is not on the roadmap of either eLMIS FE or OpenLMIS version 3.

Technical Approach

To address the problem identified above and turn eLMIS FE into a more easily accessible global good, we will undertake five related activities.

 1.       Upgrade eLMIS Facility Edition to align with global standards

JSI will upgrade eLMIS FE so that it can electronically sync with OpenLMIS version 3 and maintain a parent/child relationship between these two applications allowing it to bring all master data electronically from OpenLMIS version 3 to eLMIS FE. OpenLMIS is adopting various global standards in version 3. Specifically, for health facility codes, it will interface with a fast healthcare interoperability resource (FHIR)-compliant facility registry. For product master, it will maintain a GS1-compliant product model leveraging global trade identification numbers (GTINs) and classification systems. It will also adopt an OpenHIE-compliant interoperability framework. As part of the OpenLMIS version 3 sync upgrade, we will upgrade eLMIS FE’s data model to ensure that it meets these global standards as well. This will facilitate future interoperability with other non-OpenLMIS version 3 systems that use these standards.

Josh Zamor, the architect, and Mary Jo, the OpenLMIS product manager, will advise JSI on upgrading and aligning eLMIS FE to global standards.

 2.       Build an interface with OpenLMIS version 3

OpenLMIS version 3 has a different database structure than eLMIS. In conjunction with activity 1, JSI will update the eLMIS FE database, REST API interfaces and coding schemes so that they can synchronize with OpenLMIS version 3. We anticipate some database level changes to leverage the upgraded product model (e.g., the concept of an orderable product was introduced in OpenLMIS version 3 to be GS1 compliant).

 3.       Update the documentation

JSI will update the eLMIS Facility Edition User Guide, Technical Guide and Installation Guide based on the changes outlined above while making them more generic so that more countries can use them. Guides will be available in English in native Microsoft Word format and included on the documentation directory of the GitHub repository.

 4.       Adopt an OSI compliant open source license

eLMIS Facility edition will revisit its current Open Source Initiative (OSI) compliant license Mozilla MPL V2 licensing to adopt more community friendly one.

 5.       Post the source code in GitHub

Complete source code and documentation will be posted and maintained in a publicly accessible GitHub repository. Currently the source code is publicly accessible from this link https://bitbucket.org/elmis-tzm/elmis-sdp-server. The source code will be maintained in GitHub so that any future changes are also publicly available. Any other country or project with their own local developer would be able to download the source code and documentation, and use them for their own implementation. We will also develop and publish guidelines for code contribution in the repository.

To accomplish these activities, JSI will finalize a detailed set of requirements; build a detailed project plan for development, testing, and release of the new version; allocate resources against the tasks in the plan from our Zambia, Ethiopia, and Arlington offices, and execute that plan. We will monitor progress against the completed plan based on the milestones in the plan.

Use of Digital Health Technologies

Work plan and schedule

Requirement Finalization

We will conduct an assessment to identify gaps between the current versions of eLMIS FE, eLMIS CE, and OpenLMIS version 3 and to determine how we will use the REST APIs of OpenLMIS version 3 for syncing. In addition, to meet the global good requirements, we will determine what is needed to produce a full set of documentation and a self-service standalone installer, setup a forum for community support, and develop a product roadmap with community input. For each requirement, JSI will write user stories and put them into the product backlog.

Work plan finalization

The tentative work plan developed as part of this proposal will be updated based on the requirement finalization activity and will include a prioritized backlog with release targets.

Sprint for software enhancements

JSI will use a sprint-based agile software development methodology to upgrade eLMIS FE.

Testing

JSI will test the eLMIS FE to validate that it is able to sync with OpenLMIS version 3 for metadata sync and test and verify that eLMIS FE is downloadable and installable as an open source application.

Documentation update

Currently eLMIS FE has a set of country/implementation specific user guides and installation guides. As part of this activity, JSI will upgrade the documentation to create a fully documented self-service application. Initial documentation will be published in English in Word format so that text can be readily translated into other languages.

Source code

The current publicly accessible source code repository will be moved from bitbucket to the more popular GitHub. The source code will contain comments, license, and installation/build instructions.

Dockerized containers

eLMIS FE will be dockerized and hosted in a docker hub. For easy stack deployment, docker compose and docker stack will be supported with related documentation.

Virtual Machine (VM) image

A virtual machine image will be published so an instance of eLMIS FE can be easily downloaded and powered up in a virtual machine.

Socialization and Community development 

At the end of the project a local champion from one of the current implementing countries will present eLMIS FE as a global good in at least one international forum. The presenter will include information on support resources, a community forum, and a support mechanism in the presentation. JSI will engage with the OpenLMIS product and technical committees to present and discuss the interface work being done to allow eLMIS FE to synchronize with OpenLMIS version 3 and to share the product roadmap for eLMIS FE to promote complementary development efforts. In coordination with the OpenLMIS community manager, the eLMIS FE community and support mechanism will be presented to the OpenLMIS governance committee and we will ask if and how eLMIS FE can be referenced as a compatible product by the OpenLMIS community. 

Project Deliverables 

  • Upgraded eLMIS FE with FHIR-compliant facility registry, a GS1-compliant product model, and OpenHIE compliant interfaces
  • Updated documentation
  • OSI compliant open source license
  • Complete source code publicly available from GitHub
  • Docker container
  • VM image
  • Presentation in international forum
  • Forum and resources for the community  

Digital Health Atlas 

eLMIS FE is at Digital Health Atlas at this link (https://digitalhealthatlas.org/app/163/edit-project/publish/) 

Timeline

 JSI expects to complete this project within 6 months of kick-off. 

  • Requirements finalized- by 1st month
  • Work plan finalized- by 1st month
  • Sprints for software upgrade begins- by 6th week
  • Software upgrade completes- by 5th month
  • Documentation completes- by 6th month
  • GitHub distribution downloadable as a global good- by 6th month
  • Dockerized container, virtual machine image- by 6th month
  • Socialization and community development- by 6th month 

Two Sentence Overview of eLMIS FE

eLMIS FE is a locally hosted web-based application that allows you to set up an ordering, inventory management and dispensing system for your hospitals and clinics. It can manage your inventory with batch level tracking, from initial receiving at bulk store until it is dispensed to your clients, and integrates with OpenLMIS to provide you with end-to-end supply chain visibility and order management. In Zambia eLMIS FE interfaces with the SmartCare Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system and similar interfaces with other EMR system can be supported through the built-in application programming interfaces (API) or with minor customizations. 

Local support and community support

JSI used local business analyst/programming resources from Zambia and Ethiopia to develop the eLMIS FE. In new countries—Swaziland and Zanzibar (Tanzania) – the team identified and trained oriented programmers/business analysts and connected them with Zambia- and Ethiopia-based programmers for community support. As part of upgrading eLMIS FE into a global good, JSI will seek a more defined connection between the OpenLMIS community and eLMIS FE. 

Funding and sustainability

To date, USAID; the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria; and individual country MoHs have provided funding for the development, training, and roll-out of eLMIS FE. In Zanzibar and Swaziland, the local MoH has taken responsibility for training and roll-out beyond the pilot implementations, as well as planning for country-specific enhancements using their own local programming resources. 

Community feedback

We have incorporated feedback received during the proposal finalization phase. Once the project is awarded, we’ll publish a Google Group and Slack channel that people can subscribe to receive updates and provide comments. Over the course of the project we will develop a more formal plan for a community forum and community support.

Use cases

To be compiled and summarized in the future phases 

Self assessment

Global Good Maturity Model self-assessment attached. 

Expected Outcome

The purpose of this project is to turn eLMIS Facility Edition into a more easily accessible global good. As such the outcomes of the project will be a publicly available, standards-compliant version of eLMIS FE that is accessible and can be used by anyone interested in using it and that contains a prebuilt interface with OpenLMIS 3. For long term sustainability and support, we anticipate a community of practice and alignment with the OpenLMIS community.

Success factors

JSI will apply following factors to measure success for this project:

  • Medium rating on maturity model assessment tool
  • Over 25% funding through MOH resources
  • Over 75% programming support through local talents
  • A ready to use open source application with essential documentation  

Tags

 #Supply Chain

 #Inventory Management

 #Report and Requisition (R&R)

 #Open Source

 #OpenLMIS

 #Interoperability

 #OpenHIE

 #GS1

 #FHIR

 #Offline

Application Status: 
Approved - partially funded

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