OpenMRS Glossary
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A
Allergy List
A series of allergies from which a patient suffers.
Apache Maven
A build management tool used for OpenMRS development.
Apache Tomcat
An open-source web server developed by the Apache Software Foundation, packaging together Java Servlet, JavaServer Pages, Java Expression Language and Java WebSocket technologies.
App
A software program that's designed to perform a specific function or set of functions directly for the user or, in some cases, for another application program. OpenMRs is a system of web-based apps such as Clinic Dashboard, Patient Chart and Offline Tools. Each app has its own homepage, navigation structure, and multiple features related to a particular theme.
Attribute
A data point about a patient that is used to describe them. Examples of person attributes include birthdate (which never changes) or marital status (which rarely changes).
B
Bamboo
A continuous Integration (CI) tool used by OpenMRS.
Bug
A repeatable error or flaw in a program that causes an unexpected or incorrect result.
Bundled Module
An OpenMRS module that is prepackaged with an OpenMRS release.
C
Central pane
Area of the UI where clinic data, patient data and patient lists can be visualized.
Clinician
A doctor, nurse, or another clinical officer who provides health care to patients.
Cohort
A group of patients that can be defined by one or more common traits.
Contributor
Any community member who participates and contributes towards the OpenMRS community.
Core
The source code for the OpenMRS API and core modules. The core does not include the source code for other, optional modules.
Concept
The fundamental unit of capturing clinical information within OpenMRS. Concepts represent a single idea and include both questions and answers. "cough", "address", "duration", and "yes" are a few examples.
Concept Dictionary
A list of all the medical and program-related terms used in OpenMRS as questions and answers.
Crucible
An on-premises code review tool made by Atlassian.
Customization
The idea of adapting a system to suit one's specific, particular needs.
D
Data
The actual information recorded by users in OpenMRS. Examples of Data in OpenMRS are Patients, Encounters, and Observations. Data points are defined as concepts through the Concepts Dictionary. The main interface for data entry in OpenMRS is the Patient Chart.
Direct Web Remoting
Java open-source library to convert Java objects to Javascript and vice versa for AJAX.
Distribution
A version of OpenMRS that is in use within an organization. For example, Ampath, KenyaEMR and OpenMRS Nigeria are all OpenMRS distributions, each within a different institution. Distributions can have varying levels of customization and adherence to the RefApp.
E
Eclipse
A multi-language, open-source Integrated Development Environment (IDE) recommended for OpenMRS development
Electronic Medical Record (EMR)
A digital version of a paper chart/document used to record patient data.
Electronic Medical Record System
A computer system that allows for recording, storage, and retrieval of Electronic Medical Records.
Encounter
A clinical transaction in which a group of data (e.g., observations, notes, and orders) are recorded. Encounters generally involve one (or a few) providers. Examples include the paper "encounter form" with which OpenMRS started, an order entry session, a daily note & associated orders written for patient while they are in the hospital, etc.
F
Feature
A feature is a unit of functionality of an application that satisfies a requirement, represents a design decision, and provides a potential configuration option.
F/LOSS, FOSS, etc.
Free/libre and open-source software. Software is freely licensed to use, copy, change and distribute. OpenMRS is licensed under the OpenMRS Public License based on the Mozilla Public License.
Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR)
A data format and resource standard proposed by Health Level 7 (HL7) for exchanging electronic health records.
Form
An electronic form that may be used to enter or view data for a patient.
G
Git Bash
Git Bash is an application that provides Git command line experience on the Operating System(windows)
Git
A distributed version control system (DVCS) that allows multiple developers to work simultaneously on a project without the need for a common network connection.
GitHub
A web-based hosting service for software development projects that use the Git revision control system. The OpenMRS source code is hosted on GitHub at http://github.com/openmrs
Groovy
A computer scripting language that allows automation and quick performance of tasks.
H
Hibernate
An object-relational mapping (ORM) library for the Java language used by OpenMRS.
HL7
An abbreviation of Health Level Seven, a nonprofit committee dedicated to the standardization for exchanging information between medical applications.
I
Inpatient
Patient who is hospitalized in a healthcare facility. The opposite of Outpatient.
Implementer
Someone who has or is in process of deploying OpenMRS in a specific location or context of use.
Implementation
The process of business analysis, system customization, server installation and configuration, user training and continuous support for an OpenMRS distribution.
Implementer tools
A system management app with user-friendly interface that gives non-technical system administrators the ability to configure the front-end UI of the other apps (e.g. Outpatients, Pharmacy, Offline) without the need to code.
Informatics
The application and study of information technology and its use for society.
Internet Relay Chat (IRC)
An online tool to communicate with others in "real-time". OpenMRS uses IRC to allow developers and implementers to collaborate and meet http://go.openmrs.org/irc
J
JavaMelody
An open-source application to monitor Java or Java EE applications in QA and production environments
Jetty
A development-oriented J2EE server and javax.servlet packaged with OpenMRS Platform 1.8+.
JIRA
An issue tracking /project management tool used by OpenMRS. Accessible at: https://issues.openmrs.org/
jQuery
The recommended Javascript framework included with OpenMRS.
jRebel
A Java development-time tool that decreases turnaround by instantly reloading changes to your code, without having to restart the container or redeploy the application.
K
L
Liquibase
An open-source library for tracking changes within a database.
M
Mailing list
A collection of names and addresses used by a company to send material to multiple recipients. On the internet, mailing lists include each person's e-mail address rather than a postal address.
Medical Informatics
A discipline of studying the use of informatics in the field of medical science.
Microfrontend
Framework-agnostic section of the UI, often consisting of multiple components. A UI can have several microfrontends, and each of them can be managed by a different team and may be implemented using its own framework. Each microfrontend has its own package.json
file, and its own build tool configuration. As a result, each microfrontend has an independent build process and an independent deploy / CI.
Module
A software package that extends or changes OpenMRS functionality in specific ways. Modules have full access to the system and allow for the customization of OpenMRS. Most modules are developed by community members.
Module Directory
An online resource to find and maintain community-developed OpenMRS add-on modules (now referred to as the OpenMRS Add-ons index) https://addons.openmrs.org/
MySQL
An open-source relational database management system (RDMS) popular with web applications and used by OpenMRS.
N
O
Observation
An atomic unit of information that is recorded about a patient at a moment in time.
Open Source
A method of developing software where the source code is freely available for others to examine, use, and build upon. Also a type of software development community based around sharing of work and collaboration.
Outpatient
Patient who visits a clinic to get healthcare, but is not admitted into a hospital. The opposite of Inpatient.
P
Package (pack)
A small set of features that exists within an app, and enable users to perform actions or view data in a different way. Packages can be designed, developed and added to apps. A particular distribution may also want to remove packages that come as default with the RefApp.
Platform
A computer system that is simple by design, and is intended to be customized and adapted for use in a wide variety of contexts.
Point of care
Data entered into the electronic system during clinical visit/encounter.
Privilege
Defines what actions an authenticated user is allowed to perform within OpenMRS.
Program
A program of care which a patient can be enrolled in. A program consists of one or more workflows.
Provider
Individuals who provide healthcare to patients. Providers are the main users of OpenMRS. They can be physicians, lab technicians, nurses, receptionists, etc. All these different roles interact with patients on various points of a visit, using the Patient chart as their medium.
Q
R
RefApp
Short for reference application is a state-of-the-art distribution of OpenMRS, designed and developed by our core team, which may serve as a solid base for new implementations. It is a combination of the frontend, backend and API of OpenMRS that is available for customization and configuration.
Retrospective
Paper form filled out during clinical visit/encounter. Data is copied from paper to an electronic system at a later time, usually by a different person in a different room or facility.
S
Sample Data
Fictional, anonymized information representing patient care within OpenMRS. Some versions of the software include anonymized data to make it easier to plan an OpenMRS implementation.
Sonar
An open-source platform used to check code quality
Spring Framework
An open-source application framework and inversion of control container used by OpenMRS.
Sprint
A semi-agile process adopted by OpenMRS for implementing new features in a coordinated and speedy manner.
Super user
An OpenMRS user with permission to perform all management tasks in the application.
System
A system is a group of interacting or interrelated elements that act according to a set of rules to form a unified whole. Within our context, OpenMRS itself is the system, composed of apps, that have multiple features.
System administrator
A person who is responsible for day-to-day maintenance of a computer system or network.
T
U
User
A person who uses OpenMRS, or more specifically the data in the system representing that person.
V
Visit
A visit encompasses one or more encounters to describe an event where the patient has interacted with the healthcare system. Visits may occur within minutes/hours or may extend over days, weeks, or even months. Examples of visits include an outpatient (clinic) visit, a hospitalization, or a visit to the lab.
W
Wiki
A website containing documentation and other resources for a project or organization.
Workflow
A series of tasks to accomplish a goal.
Workspace
Panel that expands into the central pane, where patient data can be entered through forms, and actions (e.g. order medication, change patient priority, schedule visit) can be performed. When the workspace is open, all content from the central pane is still accessible.
X
Y
YourKit
A CPU and memory Java Profiler with J2EE/J2ME support and IDE integration for various major Java IDEs.