E-Health: Software Development and Implementation (EHSDI) was a training course developed by Partners in Health and implemented for 3 years in Rwanda. For the first two years it was run in partnership with the Rwanda Development Board (RDB) and in the final year with the Kigali Institute of Science and Technology (KIST). The goal of the course was to produce local software developers with the necessary knowledge and skills to develop electronic medical record software, specifically to develop modules for OpenMRS. The course was 9 months long (the first year was 11 months) and a total of 34 students graduated from it.

Stages

The course is divided into two stages - a training stage and a production stage. The training stage is the longer of the two (7 months), and it is designed to cover all of the required technologies for OpenMRS development, as well as give the students a foundation in medical informatics. The production stage (2 months) is when the students develop production quality modules for OpenMRS according to the requirements of the Ministry of Health and other partners.

Levels

The training stage is divided into two levels (1 and 2). Level 1 consists of IT foundations, basic Java programming and web design. It lasts approximately 2 months, and is equivalent to the probation period of many employers. Weak students, or those who do comply with the requirements of the program are asked to leave after probation period. Level 2 (5 months) consists of advanced and enterprise level Java programming, as well as specific OpenMRS implementation and development.

Units

The units generally consist of several weeks of teaching, followed by a project and a written exam. The medical informatics unit however, is dispersed throughout the year, and generally consists of one or two lectures per week.

Examinations

The materials for examinations and student projects are downloadable in a separate file here.