[afro-nets] RFI: Clinic Patient Data Management

[Teresa Crawford <teresa@speakeasy.net>]

RFI: Clinic Patient Data Management
-----------------------------------

Hi -

I have been lurking on this list for a few weeks now and have
found it a great resource. I am writing to see if some list mem-
bers or their networks might be interested in a project I am
working on and might have relevant contacts or thoughts to aid
us in our work.

I am currently managing a project for EngenderHealth (EH) - an
international reproductive health organization - to research the
development and deployment of a software tool for clinic patient
data management specifically targeting clinics serving PLWHAs.
In EH's work throughout the world they have seen some great home
grown tools for managing patient data but few comprehensive sys-
tems and even fewer systems in use at small, low tech clinics.
There is a brief summary of our project posted at -
http://www.healthtoolkit.org. We have received funding from the
Open Society Institute - Information Program for this work. They
are interested a range of ICT tools that might be of use to the
HIV/AIDS health sector.

We are working in South Africa, Botswana, Swaziland, Zambia,
Ghana and Kenya. Research includes small focus groups, individ-
ual interviews and clinic technical assessments. I will be in
Southern Africa from June 30th to July 26th to do this work. I
am working with a local non profit technology service provider -
Ungana Afrika (http://www.ungana-afrika.org) and a South African
IT research center - CSIR (http://www.csir.co.za).

Are list members currently working with any clinics that might
be interested in this project? Anyone working on patient data
management issues that would like to talk with us? Additional
issues we should be considering?

The first phase of the work involves research focusing on clinic
'systems' that might include clinic staff, support NGOs, hospi-
tals and public health officials who work with and support clin-
ics. The idea is to get a better sense of the clinic and the
clinic 'systems' information management needs. Quite often tools
are developed for the sector without any interaction with the
end users. We hope that they can be engaged to inform the devel-
opment of a tool or the modification of an existing tool. We
currently have one network to work with in eastern Pretoria but
we are looking for clinic networks to work with on other coun-
tries.

I am reaching out to the following folks for focus groups and
interviews. Any help reaching out to folks such as these would
be great.

* Organizations and individuals doing frontline/in-person pa-
  tient care in a clinic setting
* Managers of those kinds of organizations
* Those doing training/supporting those doing the frontline work
* Funders supporting these organizations
* Government folks overseeing those who do this kind of work
  and/or dealing with large scale data issues for the public sec-
  tor
* Any PLWA who are working as patient advocates and are inter-
  ested in issues of privacy and security of patient data
* Software developers with experience in the field or open
  source developers with an interest in the sector.

The focus groups have very little to do with technology and are
much more geared towards finding out how people share informa-
tion, what information they share, how data could better inform
their work and what they are already doing to gather and manage
patient data.

Individual interviews would take about an hour to complete.
Clinic tech assessments are more comprehensive and would take
about 3-4 hours but would need shorter amounts of time with in-
dividual clinic staff.

I would appreciate any help or suggestions you could give.

Thanks.

Teresa Crawford
Technology Consultant
Tel: +1-718-230-0225
Tel: +1-917-873-6397 mobile
mailto:advocacy_project@hotmail.com