Ininahazwe EC1, Havyarimana E1, Sinzakaraye A2,3, Jadin O4, Makera F5
1National Reference Center for Physiotherapy and Medicine Rehabilitation, Physiotherapy, Bujumbura, Burundi, 2National Reference Center for Physiotherapy and Medicine Rehabilitation, Physical and Medicine Rehabilitation, Bujumbura, Burundi, 3University of Burundi - Faculty of Medicine, Physical and Medicine Rehabilitation, Rheumatology, Bujumbura, Burundi, 4Association pour la Promotion de l'Education et de la Formation à l'Etranger (APEFE), Program Coordinator, Bujumbura, Burundi, 5National Reference Center for Physiotherapy and Medicine Rehabilitation, Computer Scientist, MSc, 'B4' Program, Bujumbura, Burundi
Background: The processing of patients data in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (PMR) was done on paper files for long time. These paper files were not easy to use for assessing progress of treatments, PMR units statistics or research in rehabilitation. Moreover, they were not suitable for supplying the national health information services with quality indicators on disability and rehabilitation. A system of "PMR data digitalization" has been implemented in Burundi.
Purpose: The aim was to develop a computerized medical record (CMR) for PMR services. This software developed in "Open Clinic" must be very user-friendly and must allow users to store and use information about patients health and their evolution.
Methods: For several years, the Burundian Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control (MSPLS), the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL) and the "ICT4Development" office of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussels" developped an "Hospital CMR" software in Burundian Hospitals. The APEFE-WBI-UCL "B4" program (Benin-Burundi-Burkina Faso-Belgium) aims at developing PMR in Africa. It includes a "digitalization of PMR information" axis. In collaboration with the National Reference Center for Physiotherapy and Medical rehabilitation (NRCPMR) team of Bujumbura, the “B4” program contributed to the addition of a "PMR" module to this CMR. It consists of 3 parts:
(i) administrative information and billing,
(ii) physician´s consultation form,
(iii) physiotherapist´s report sheet.
Results: Since April 2018, the software is operational at the NRCPMR (University Hospital of Kamenge in Bujumbura). The NRCPMR team defined the content and structure of the CMR. It enabled to abandon paper files at the NRCPMR and will supply the national health information services with quality indicators on disability and rehabilitation. The computerized record of the patient covers 7 common pathologies with detailed and user-friendly sheets
(i) Traumatology-Orthopedics,
(ii) Adult Neurology,
(iii) Child neurology,
(iv) Spinal rheumatology,
(v) Limbs rheumatology;
(vi) Chest physiotherapy,
(vii) Perineology.
Thirteen internationally validated assessment scales of the patient´s functional abilities supplement the physiotherapist´s assessment sheet. They allow frequent assessments of patients' progress in daily life. This "Open Clinic" software is freely accessible to all rehabilitation centers and services that can adapt it to their specific needs. Moreover, it can easily contain ICF tools as complementary sheets.
Conclusion(s): The software is being evaluated and adjusted. It's being introduced this year in 4 other physiotherapy services in Burundi. However, it requires sufficient training of human resources for its accurate use as well as a maintenance contract with its developer for its permanent adaptation.
Implications: This open clinic software is an innovative tool, perceived as a durable solution for collection of internationally comparable data on disability and rehabilitation in Africa.
Keywords: Computerised Medical Record, Physical and Medicine Rehabilitation, Burundi
Funding acknowledgements: No
Purpose: The aim was to develop a computerized medical record (CMR) for PMR services. This software developed in "Open Clinic" must be very user-friendly and must allow users to store and use information about patients health and their evolution.
Methods: For several years, the Burundian Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control (MSPLS), the Belgian Development Agency (ENABEL) and the "ICT4Development" office of the "Vrije Universiteit Brussels" developped an "Hospital CMR" software in Burundian Hospitals. The APEFE-WBI-UCL "B4" program (Benin-Burundi-Burkina Faso-Belgium) aims at developing PMR in Africa. It includes a "digitalization of PMR information" axis. In collaboration with the National Reference Center for Physiotherapy and Medical rehabilitation (NRCPMR) team of Bujumbura, the “B4” program contributed to the addition of a "PMR" module to this CMR. It consists of 3 parts:
(i) administrative information and billing,
(ii) physician´s consultation form,
(iii) physiotherapist´s report sheet.
Results: Since April 2018, the software is operational at the NRCPMR (University Hospital of Kamenge in Bujumbura). The NRCPMR team defined the content and structure of the CMR. It enabled to abandon paper files at the NRCPMR and will supply the national health information services with quality indicators on disability and rehabilitation. The computerized record of the patient covers 7 common pathologies with detailed and user-friendly sheets
(i) Traumatology-Orthopedics,
(ii) Adult Neurology,
(iii) Child neurology,
(iv) Spinal rheumatology,
(v) Limbs rheumatology;
(vi) Chest physiotherapy,
(vii) Perineology.
Thirteen internationally validated assessment scales of the patient´s functional abilities supplement the physiotherapist´s assessment sheet. They allow frequent assessments of patients' progress in daily life. This "Open Clinic" software is freely accessible to all rehabilitation centers and services that can adapt it to their specific needs. Moreover, it can easily contain ICF tools as complementary sheets.
Conclusion(s): The software is being evaluated and adjusted. It's being introduced this year in 4 other physiotherapy services in Burundi. However, it requires sufficient training of human resources for its accurate use as well as a maintenance contract with its developer for its permanent adaptation.
Implications: This open clinic software is an innovative tool, perceived as a durable solution for collection of internationally comparable data on disability and rehabilitation in Africa.
Keywords: Computerised Medical Record, Physical and Medicine Rehabilitation, Burundi
Funding acknowledgements: No
Topic: Information management, technology & big data
Ethics approval required: No
Institution: Ministry of Public Health and AIDS Control
Ethics committee: No Ethic Commitee
Reason not required: There is no Ethic Commitee in Burundi
All authors, affiliations and abstracts have been published as submitted.
