Deploying Health Information Exchanges poses several challenges
In low-resource settings, these challenges range from technical complexities and infrastructure limitations to governance, resources, and capacity. Making it a challenge to get an Health Information Exchange (HIE) off the ground in many countries.
To address some of the technical and capacity challenges, Jembi developed Instant OpenHIE with the focus of simplifying the deployment process of HIEs.
Overcoming challenges to enable interoperability
Deploying HIE systems involves overcoming technical challenges like making different health information systems work together and standardising data. Having reliable infrastructure, such as stable electricity and internet connections, is crucial for successfully implementing HIE systems.
Limited human, financial, and technical resources, as well as cultural and social barriers that might prevent the adoption and use of HIE systems, make challenges in low-resource settings worse.
Instant OpenHIE innovates by offering
A streamlined and efficient approach to deploying, securing, and managing HIE services.
A ready-to-use version of the OpenHIE architecture, through the use of the OpenHIM Platform, allows quick deployment using open standards and components.
An adaptable and extendable foundation that enables support for a wide range of use cases and technologies by allowing anyone to create their own custom packages for Instant OpenHIE.
The focus on community engagement, training, and capacity building ensures its successful adoption in low-resource settings.
Deployment Made Easy
Deploying Instant OpenHIE stands out for its user-friendly nature, flexibility, and portability. It is compatible with a wide range of platforms, including Linux, macOS, and Windows, and supports deployment in the Docker Swarm environment for scalability. This flexibility lowers expenses and expertise needed by software developers, making it an accessible option for deploying OpenHIE architectures in various settings.
Case Study: The OpenHIM Platform
The OpenHIM Platform extends the core OpenHIM by using configuration recipes for specific health information system use cases. Instant OpenHIE powers the deployment of these recipes to allow a complex HIE to be setup instantly.
Each predefined recipe installs the required components, such as:
"Central Data Repository with Data Warehouse"
or "Master Patient Index" setups.
Each provides users with ready-to-use solutions for immediate deployment. These configuration recipes set up the required HIE components to match the needs of that specific use case, saving time and effort in the implementation process.
Want to get learn more and involved with OpenHIM Platform? Then join the Discord community.
A Collaborative Community Effort
The development of Instant OpenHIE is a collaborative effort, benefiting from community feedback to help address usability and feature issues. This approach ensures ongoing improvements and helps users with the installation and setup procedures. With a dedicated team working to ensure a smooth deployment experience, ultimately leading to a more efficient and effective deployment of HIE systems.
Instant OpenHIE significantly simplifies the deployment of health information exchange systems, addressing the myriad challenges faced in low-resource settings. Its development represents a significant step forward in making HIE services more accessible and manageable. Stakeholders in the health information exchange community are encouraged to explore Instant OpenHIE, leveraging the support and resources available for getting started.
