Biotech Democratized: Open Medical Record System

Proper management of medical records represents not only a significant technical challenge, but it is also a vital public health tool to ensure proper management of epidemics as well as quality of patient care among other things. In countries with more abundant resources such as the United States, proprietary solutions for managing medical records are the norm, which is perfectly reasonable given that the providers of these solutions are accountable for the security and integrity of the data.

However, such solutions are not viable for many nations whose hospitals cannot afford it, and these hospitals may need such systems the most. Enter the Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS), a completely open source system backed by a community dedicated to enabling the implementation of medical records systems for those who need it the most.

Established in 2004, OpenMRS started off as a system to improve the medical records system for Western Kenya’s Academic Model for Prevention and Treatment of HIV/AIDS (AMPATH). It has grown into an internationally used and widely supported project by both its many volunteers as well as organizations such as Google, The Rockefeller Foundation and the World Health Organization, among many others...