Authoring Content Packages

How to create a new Content Package

Creating a new content package such as an HIV Content Package involves several steps

1. Purpose and Scope Definition: Begin by articulating the primary goal of the content package and identify the key components of this package. The scope of the HIV content package for example may cover HIV Testing, Care and Treatment, MCH, Community Engagement etc. Scoping also required that you determine the specific population that the package will serve such as Adults living with HIV, Pregnant Women and Children, Key populations at risk for HIV etc

2. Requirements Gathering: Gather inputs from a diverse group of stakeholders, including healthcare providers, data managers, etc to ensure that the content package is comprehensive and meets the needs of all parties. Also, determine the concepts and data elements that will be needed for the content package.

3. Identification and Selection of Concepts: Creating a new content package such as an HIV Content Package, requires careful identification and selection of concepts to ensure it accurately reflects the necessary data elements for effective patient care and management. Concepts serve as the building blocks of the content package, providing standardized definitions for various clinical terms and data elements.

   • At the heart of metadata is the concept dictionary, which includes clinical terms (e.g., diagnoses, drug regimens, lab results) and how they relate to each other.

   • Concepts are selected from existing dictionaries (e.g., Columbia International eHealth Laboratory (CIEL)) and custom concepts are created as needed.

   • Begin by navigating the Columbia International eHealth Laboratory (CIEL) database, which houses a comprehensive library of healthcare concepts relevant to various medical fields, including HIV care. Search for relevant HIV-related concepts (e.g., diagnoses, treatment regimens, laboratory results).

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4. Compile a list of concepts: Develop a comprehensive inventory of selected concepts and collaborate with healthcare providers and clinical experts during the selection process to gather insights on the most relevant concepts. Ensure that you reach a reach consensus among stakeholders on the final set of concepts to be included in the Content Package.

5. Identify gaps in concept: If you discover that certain concepts essential for the content package are missing in CIEL dictionary, it’s important to seek solution to address this gap.

   • Document the Gaps: Create a document that outlines the missing concepts.

   • Consult with the CIEL Team: Consider contacting the CIEL team for assistance on how to incorporate or develop these concepts.

   • Engage Clinical Experts: Work together with clinical experts to define and create new custom concepts that address the identified gaps.

6. Export or Integrate Concepts into the Instance: Exportation of the selected concepts involves transferring the curated concepts into the instance’s concept database. This ensures that all the selected concepts are readily available for use in the system. Consequently, the concepts are accessible for form building, data entry, reporting, and patient management.

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7. Creation of Forms and Templates: Forms serve as the primary interface for healthcare workers to collect patient data in a structured way. Creation of forms therefore is a crucial step in developing a new content package. The process involves designing and structuring forms that align with the concepts identified for the package. Forms need to be developed in a way that they directly relate to the concepts integrated into the instance. Each field in the form should correspond to a concept (e.g., diagnosis, treatment regimen) in the concept dictionary.

   • With the O3 Form Builder feature in OpenMRS 3.x form creation has been simplified. The O3 Form Builder provides a drag-and-drop interface for creating forms, making it easier for non-technical users to configure forms. Users can add fields such as text inputs, checkboxes, radio buttons, and dropdowns, and map them to the added CIEL concepts.

Create a Content Package module

The command is in non-interactive mode and it initializes a basic OpenMRS content package project with specified details like module ID, name, version, and description, using the OpenMRS SDK Maven plugin.

If you prefer to create a content package module via prompting from the wizard, you can just run

And select the “Content Package“ type.