Grant Amount: US$ 30,000

Keywords: PRIMARY HEALTH CARE, FREE AND OPEN SOURCE, MALAYSIA

Geographic location: Malaysia

Objectives

The objectives of this project are to develop free and open source medical software modules in PrimaCare to improve the quality of primary health care through better patient clinical information and statistical data management.

Research context

Primary health care provides the first line of preventive and curative medical services to the individual, the family and the community. Poor clinical information and weak statistical data management, however, often hinder primary health care’s effectiveness. This project aims to enhance the existing PrimaCare with free and open source medical software for clinical and operational aspects of primary medical practice. The project aims to develop a Generic Engine for Modules (GEM) with specialized modules for general paediatrics, general women’s health and basic epidemiology. The GEM will empower medical practitioner developers to build or expand their own modules based on their needs, thus providing an important tool to extend the impact of PrimaCare beyond primary health care.

Target beneficiaries

• Patients of primary health care in Malaysia and other developing countries; 
• Primary health care doctors and clinics in Malaysia and other developing countries; 
• Development team of PrimaCare.

Outputs

• Generic engine through which specialized modules can be developed; 
• Free and open source medical software for general primary health care, including modules for Paediatrics, Women’s Health and Epidemiology; 
• Test of the GEM by a quality assurance team; 
• Field test of the specialized modules by local primary health care doctors; 
• Evaluation and monitoring results of the GEM and specialized modules; 
• Regional dissemination to participating countries through international conferences and workshops; and 
• Technical and user manuals in English.

Project Duration

Start Date: February 2006
End Date: February 2007
Total duration: 13 Months

Contact information

Dr Molly Cheah
Primary Care Doctors’ Organization Malaysia (PCDOM)
2-B Jalan SS 3/31, University Garden
Petaling Jaya, Selangor D.E. 47300, Malaysia
Telephone: +60 3 7875 0076
Fax: +60 3 7874 9208
Email: drcheah@pc.jaring.my, drcheah@pcdom.org.my

Website: http://pcdom.org.my/