Ubuntu Linux to solve South Africa's Medical Issues

21 December 2006
Using Ubuntu Linux to solve South Africa's Medical Issues

http://allscrubbedup.blogspot.com/2006/12/using-ubuntu-linux-to-solve-south.html

The start of the argument about Health 2.0 got me thinking. As sexy, functional and efficient as the health software trend may be - I think we all agree on the fact that it's just not applicable in the African context... yet.

So what might be applicable? SA Doctors need lab results, need to do research, need to store and retrieve patient records (on demand)... How do you get a connected, low cost, easy to use, low maintenance technology infrastructure into South Africa's hospital system? And then keep it there?

We've been using Ubuntu Linux (a proudly South African distribution of the Linux operating system - with our very own billionaire Mark Shuttleworth as the brains) around the office a bit - mainly to do tricky techy stuff, but I've been absolutely blown away with the new version (6.06 I think). It's funky, it's African, it's VERY easy to use (provided you don't mess with settings / use installed packages - which are more than ample for everyday use) and it runs on fumes.

I've personally run Ubuntu on a P3 256mb RAM - like lightning on the highveld.



So here's the challenge:

TO MARK SHUTTLEWORTH, OUR BILLIONAIRE BRUVVA...
and all the folks at UBUNTU Linux:

Well done, chaps, excellent job. How about a project? We could secure funding (Government?) for an independent, empowered, Section 21 company to create an Ubuntu network of computers linking all SA's primary, secondary and tertiary care hospitals together.

1. It's low cost because the operating system is free.
2. It's low cost because it runs on the kind of computers America is throwing away.
3. It's low maintenance, because once the networking protocols, any required software and web browser have been installed - the OS can be locked down and user logins/passwords managed fairly easily.
4. It doesn't get viruses. Including the ones spread by the nasty germs on the kettle in the tea room (whole new post, different time).
5. It could network and interlink over a low cost dialup, sponsored by Telkom.
6. It could encourage the open source community (multiverse, universe... I get confused) to get together and develop some simple software for storing patient records, lab results, X-Rays and making them available to the right channels at the right time.
7. It doesn't crash!



I think I'm onto something - if I dare say so myself. South Africans are too ready to throw away local solutions when faced with more expensive, inappropriate overseas ones. A project like this, while creating jobs and uplifting infrastructure would equip and empower our medical industry to fight a battle they're not getting a lot of help with. And we'll be doing it, the South African way.

Baragwanath is 2km wide. How would you like to run a kilometre (the phones just don't get answered) and wait in a queue (only 5 terminals work currently) for those lab results as your patient lies gasping on the slab?

This is a call. Who's in? Are the folks at Ubuntu interested in pursuing a project like this? Is there anything going on at the moment?

If I'm not mistaken - movements like this ARE the spirit of Ubuntu. Leave a comment, we're really interested in your views...

GNUmed installation video manual

Posted by Sebastian Hilbert on Monday May 14, 2007 @ 01:51 PM
from the look ma it moves dept.
A video tutorial on how to install GNUmed's client and server part (including postgresql) on MS Windows has been produced and uploaded for public viewing. This is meant as a supplement for people who find the material on our Wiki (wiki.gnumed.de) too low level.

The videos demonstrates the installation of python, wxpython, psycopg2, PIL, posgresql and GNUmed itself from scratch. Videos can be found at: http://wiki.gnumed.de/bin/view/Gnumed/GNUmedMovies While narration is in German the video tutorial should be easy to follow.



GNUmed Movies

http://wiki.gnumed.de/bin/view/Gnumed/GNUmedMovies

Contributed by Sebastian and hosted externally, courtesy of gnumed-systemhaus.de:

Here you go. 5 movies will be shown tonight. Grab some popcorn and enjoy.

Be sure to zoom your screen large enough to be able to access the controls along the bottom of the window. Also, if the "action" is a bit slow to your liking, you can wait 'til the movie(s) load, and then use your mouse to slide the thumb along your horizontal scrollbar. For those with slow and expensive internet access a 3 MB zip file holding the last three of the files mentioned below is at
http://www.gnumed.de/promotion/videos/full_package.zip

GNUmed client installation on MS Windows

Flash player Media Player

GNUmed server installation on MS Windows

Media Player

Demonstration of a new episode in a patient contact

Flash player Media Player Microsoft Media Player

Demonstration of the EMR tree

Flash player Media Player Microsoft Media Player

Demonstration of the EMR to file export

Flash player Media Player Microsoft Media Player

or access the files directly if the above doesn't work.

The flash files have been tested inside Firefox on MS Windows and Linux, also inside Safari on the Mac (OS 10.3 Panther).

Guide for Movie 1. It demonstrates:

• that when we first arrive, Spock had been the last (i.e. most recent) patient found and displayed are his age of 74y5m and his allergy kein allergien bekannt which means "no allergy". For now, ignore the question mark in "Capt? Spock"
• that at bottom, the current tab can be seen to be Handbuch which means Notes. It simply is a snapshot of some wiki pages.
• within the search box, the availability of a "tooltip" which can be invoked merely by hovering
• a search for Kirk. A single click behind the name (!) highlights the name completely so you can start typing without deleting the content of the box (saves keystrokes). A single click inside the name places the cursor at the specified position in the string so you can edit the name and search again. Note that on completion of the search, the Allergy info refreshes, and in fact so does Age but it is inapparent because the actors were born only 4 days apart!
• a change of tabs to Velaufsnotizen which means Progress Notes
• entry via keyboard of a SOAP note, including jumping between rows as might occur in a real encounter where during the exam the patient may provide additional history
• a misbehaviour present in wxWindows 2.6 (absent in 2.4) in which the input areas shrink as text is entered
• support within the text for symbolic characters e.g. 37 "degrees"
• the user's choice to delay assignment (input) of an Episode name until the end of the visit, mirroring typical practice for one may not know until completion of the visit what the episode should be called.
• saving of the item, which on account of being an "open" episode, appears in the left hand panel with "(Episode)" appended. The item above is shown with Grunderkrankung appended, denoting it as a significant health issue.