This overview of mobile tools that interact with OpenMRS is intended as a resource for implementers who may be interested in using such tools. If you are developing or innovating with mobile devices and want to share ideas, check out the Mobile Work Group.

Table of Contents - click links to navigate

mOpenMRS (mobile OpenMRS) 

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mOpenMRS mOpenMRS

General need/use case:  mOpenMRS was developed using the existing OpenXData mobile client listed below on this page. The original system was modified to suit the needs of IRD for supporting the MDR-TB DOTS program in Karachi IRD. This system was developed using the OpenXData mobile client which enables forms-based data collection on Java enabled phones such as Nokia 2700. The system incorporates new features such as personalized data for each treatment supporter that visits a patient and handles data at a more granular level by linking the users with cohorts assigned to them. mopenMRS has simplified settings and hides the connectivity details from the end user contained by the previous application. Limits the treatment supporter to only the patients he is assigned to for privacy reasons. It also removes searching on Server for patients not assigned to the treatment supporter.

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eg http://122.234.244.132:8088/openmrs. 

• Treatment supporter logs in the system

• Cohorts are downloaded 

• Patients are downloaded

• Patients Forms are downloaded 

• Patients are searched

• Form(s) related to the patient are filled

• Forms are uploaded

• Encounters are uploaded and can be viewed by providers using 

• Note: Currently cohorts are mapped  with users based on the cohort name. Therefore the cohort name has to be the same as the user name. Eg, user 'peter' would have only see cohort also called 'peter'

• The  data is exchanged with the server using Xforms module built by Daniel Kaiwa (who developed the initial OpenXData-OpenMRS application)  

Implementation Details: For the treatment of TB patients we follow the internationally recognised and followed method of Directly Observed Therapy. In DOT a trained treatment supporter administers the dose to a TB patient and watches the patient take it. This is then recorded everyday along with other very important information such as side effects, any noticeable changes in patient's contacts (immediate family such as parents, spouse, etc). In the mobile application's pilot implementation we provided 3 treatment supporters Nokia 2710NE cell phones with the OpenMRS mobile application pre-installed. The mobile implementation or mOpenMRS allows quick reporting and enables the providers to view the patient status on the browser window when they log into OpenMRS. The mobile application allows treatment supporters to download cohorts (group of patients assigned to each treatment supporter), download forms and upload filled forms to the server. More can be found on this Google Group ict4chw

Pre-requisites:

• OpenMRS Version 1.5

• XForms module (used and tested with 3.7.9)

• J2ME enabled phones

Cost: Open source

Download: projects:JAR File, projects:JAD file

Future Work/ Enhancements

• Remove dependency on cohort name and user name by introducing link table in the database for making the cohort-user mapping.

• Incorporate GPS

Known Issues

1) Some* *incorrect URLs can make the application download for a long time without giving proper error

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omar.ahmed@irdresearch.org

www.irdresearch.org

FrontlineSMS:Medic

General need/use case: We focus on long tail use cases. In other words, we work to make everything dirt cheap and dead simple. Our system enables forms-based data collection on cheap java enabled phones when only SMS (not GPRS) is available. Also used for coordinating house visits - for example OMRS generates a list of patients who missed their appointments, and blasts an SMS to the health worker nearest to each patient, asking them to follow up with a house visit.

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Where to find additional Information: The FrontlineSMS:Medic website, or contact Field Director Isaac Holeman.

ChildCount+/RapidSMS

ChildCount+/RapidSMS                                    

General need/use case: This is a community health worker information system built upon the RapidSMS framework, but being co-developed by Columbia University and UNICEF. The Millennium Villages Project needed a way to monitor children in particular, but entire villages more generally, for nutrition, malaria and other illnesses. The need was to have this data be incorporated into OpenMRS so that there is continuity and interoperability and that referrals between the home and clinic can be managed.

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Where to find additional Information: The ChildCount website, or contact Matt Berg at mlberg@gmail.com.

PicoRosa

General need/use case: PicoRosa can be used for many of the use cases above, and can also send pictures. It is particularly useful when integrated with Google maps, as pioneered by IRD in Karachi, Pakistan.

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Where to find additional Information: Julia from Indus Hospital created a video overview of their MDR-TB program. Here's another video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5hEYn7cXZPY.

CommCare

General need/use case: Field based data collection, as well as coordination between mobile health workers and central management. In addition, CommCare assists CHWs to manage household visits and plan their day - structure that can be useful for CHWs who often receive relatively little medical training, have high turnover, and have limited opportunities to reinforce their knowledge once they begin working in the field.

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Where to find additional Information: This project was initiated by Dimagi and D-tree
. See the ComCare page on Dimagi's website, read about D-tree, or read about ComCare in Tanzania here.

Openxdata-OpenMRS mobile application

General need/use case:
This application provides an interface for accessing OpenMRS via a J2ME phone. Useful for community/mobile health workers who need access to the OMRS system, for example, a health worker at small health center supported by a large hospital which runs OpenMRS.

How it works:

• Health worker logs in with user name and password

• Downloads available cohorts (if all patients then all patients must be available as a cohort?)

• Selects a cohort and downloads the list of patients in this cohort. To save on data costs it is probably worth creating sensible sub-sets of patients

• xForms in the openMRS system that represent a range of customizable encounters can then be downloaded onto the mobile phone.

• Healthworker can then user the mobile interface to edit and submit forms for each patient and uploaded to openMRS.

• If health worker wants to find a patient that is not on their phone, they can query the OpenMRS server and download that patient's file.

Prerequisites:

• Requires ?XForms Module to be running on openMRS server

• Requires J2ME enabled phone. In Pakistan, IRD have tried it running on sub $100 phones e.g. Nokia 2700 with success. It has also opened on Nokia 2600 but not tried serious usage.

• openMRS 1.5 (not openMRS 1.6). The mobile client has not been updated to encompass more recent features of openMRS 1.6 and therefore although xforms module is compatible with 1.6 the mobile client currently available (also v1.6) is not.

• GPRS connectivity

Download:

• http://code.zegeba.org/svn/openxdata_binaries/Releases/OpenMRS%20Mobile/

• Lite edition is for phones without GPS (same nomenclature as OpenXData)

Costs:

• Free and open source.

Expertise Required:

Current Implementations: ?

Where to find additional Information: ?

MoTeCH (Mobile Technology for Community Health)

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Where to find additional Information: Contact Aliya Walji (awalji atat grameenfoundation.org) or Bruce MacCleod (macleod atat usm.maine.edu)

Open Data Kit (ODK)

Overview. Tools to help organizations collect, aggregate and visualize their data. Focused on data standards (i.e. Xforms), and using robust tools (Android software platform and compatible phones) to ensure organizations can collect rich data.

1. Form Filling (demo). Has functionality in ODK Collect so you can download an OpenMRS XForm and fill it out (both text and binary data) and submit it back to OpenMRS as an encounter.

2. Patient Summaries (demo). Users can view a list of patients and view and edit encounters on the phone. Concepts like weight and CD4 are graphed. All changes to the patient gets synchronized to the server.

How it works: Developed on Android, will initially communicate data via GPRS or WiFi. UI very robust.

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Where to find additional Information: ODK's developers are members of the opendatakit.org.

Data Collection with PDAs

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Where to find additional Information:

Sana (Formerly MocaMobile) 

General need/use case: Focused on remote diagnosis. E.g. health worker takes pictures, video, registers symptoms, sends them to clinician, clinician makes diagnosis and informs remote health worker of appropriate treatment.

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Costs: Devices $200 and up, hard to get/replace in Africa. Software is free and open source.

Expertise Required:

Current Implementations:Current Implementations: ? ?

OpenMRS-JR (JavaRosa)

General need/use case: Enable users to download cohorts, fill out forms for patients, and create new patients from a mobile device.

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Where to find additional Information: OpenMRS-jr

OpenMRS Messaging Module

General need/use case: The messaging module allows for communication into and out of an OpenMRS installation. It currently supports connection via a directly attached SMS capable modem, email account, Twitter (r) account, or connection to a Nuntium server (a more robust messaging system with SMPP capability, archival, and more). The messaging module is currently independent of the Xforms module to allow for use cases such as community education, patient-initiated system queries, and more.

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Where to find additional Information: ?MM FAQs, ?Messaging Module, MMSyntax

OpenMRS Planet-Updates App

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Where to find additional Information: OpenMRS Planet-Updates App for Android

Muzima

General need/use case: Muzima  Muzima is an ongoing effort to consolidate the mobile based system around AMPATH.

How it works: Muzima API

Costs: Free and Open Source

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Github repos: https://github.com/organizations/muzima | Mailing list: https://groups.google.com/forum/?hl=en&fromgroups#!forum/muzima

SMS, USSD services for Patients

General need/use case: Medical data must be accessible to a patient through many channels. This DEMO Application will allow a patient to access and edit their OpenMRS system information through SMS, USSD. Patients will be able to edit their details, view structured medical data, see current prescriptions, and etc.

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Where to find additional Information: SMS, USSD Services for Patients

OpenMRS-iOS Client

General need/use case: 

The goal of this project is to provide an OpenMRS client for iOS devices. 

Features: Login to any OpenMRS installation, Search for patients, Add patients to the database, View patient visits and vitals, Record a patient's vitals, Take visit notes, Use the app offline. You can store selected patients to an encrypted database on your device, then access them anywhere in the world.

How it works:

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 The app communicates with OpenMRS using REST. The app can store patient data offline in an encrypted database. 

Costs: Free and Open-source

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Where to find additional Information: OpenMRS iOS Client

OpenMRS 2.x Android Client (Official)

General need/use case: 

The goal of this project is to provide OpenMRS 2.x client for Android devices. The app will cover most of the functionality of the web application including registering patients, taking visit notes, capturing vitals, etc..

How it works: The app will communicate with OpenMRS using REST. It will support working off-line (without network connection) with a chosen subset of patients. The database on the device will be encrypted and password protected to secure patient data.

Costs: Free and Open-source

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Where to find additional Information: OpenMRS 2.x Android Client

Click here for repository : OpenMRS Android Client Github