Field Guide

The OpenMRS Field Guide is a new and incomplete resource that aims to help implementers with the nuts and bolts of beginning and sustaining a successful implementation of OpenMRS, from securing electricity to maintaining data quality.

This page aims to complement existing resources such as the Implementation Overview and PIH model online, highlighting details from actual experiences on the ground. Many of the topics in the Field Guide are not about OpenMRS per se, but about the many components of infrastructure and staff practices that must be in place for OpenMRS to function. If you find similar or complementary resources, please add them to the list at the bottom of this page.

If you don't find what you're looking for in this general guide, please ask the Implementer's mailing list (subscribe on the community page). The list is full of people just like you who would be happy to answer your questions promptly.

There is also an OpenMRS Book for Implementers available: http://booki.flossmanuals.net/openmrs-guide

Assessing Needs

Get the stories and work flows of:

• Patients

• Providers (doctors, nurses, clinical officers)

• Data clerks/record keepers

• Lab and pharmacy staff

Find out how all medical information is supposed to be managed as well as how it is actually managed. Note that practices may vary seasonally, for example if the hospital is much busier due to increased malaria during rainy season or malnutrition before harvest.

People generally want to be positive in describing their work places, so you may need to ask multiple people multiple times. Get copies or pictures of all paper forms if possible. Figure out where (i.e. specific rooms and desks) data is recorded onto paper and by whom. Write an overview of current practices and define specific shortcomings that could be addressed by using an electronic medical records system.

Project Design

The OpenMRS platform is flexible enough to support a wide variety of use cases or implementation models. To adopt and adapt the model that best fits your project, you will need to broadly consider assessed needs and available resources, including access to basic infrastructure, hardware, community partners, and expertise of staff, volunteers, and available contractors. You may find it helpful to perform a SWOT analysis of your project. Major issues to consider include:

• Collaborating with government and NGOs

• Connecting multiple sites

• Entering data at point of care vs. retroactively

• Using a vertical program model vs. primary/comprehensive care model

Collaborating with government and NGOs

• You need to know the reporting and regulatory requirements for the Ministry of Health in your country. If you are working at a public clinic or hospital, it is important to learn those before completing the design of the model. For multiple sites, begin talking with the Ministry of