From choice, a world of possibilities
IPPF’s Clinical Management
Information System (CMIS)
Knowledge &
Information Systems
Unit
Organizational
Effectiveness and
Governance Division
Why
 IPPF started investing into clinical management
systems almost two decades ago, but limited
financial support and expensive bespoke systems
were unsustainable to maintain. Open Source
became an option to ensure affordability and long
term development through the economies of scale
 With stakeholders demanding accurate client
related data and IPPF moving towards performance
based funding – clinic systems needed to be state of
the art supporting providers in managing client flow
and quality of care
OpenEMR
 After a thorough evaluation process, IPPF invested
in OpenEMR in 2007
 OpenEMR is an open source medical practice
management system featuring electronic medical
records (EMR)
 OpenEMR is client-centred with a visit-orientated
approach
 Clinic management using OpenEMR includes client’s
socio-demographic profile, clinical history,
appointment scheduling, referrals, billing and
inventory control
The Visit Cycle concept
Services vs Clients (actually Visits)
Counselor
Lab
Reception
Registration
Doctor/nurse
Pre Payment
Client
Cashier
Ultrasound
Clients
1
0
Services
0
4
1
2
3
Reports
Client based clinical
and demographic
data: vital statistics,
medical history,
medications,
referrals,
contraceptive
history...
CLIENTS
Client flow,
reduced waiting
times, more
efficient use of
service providers’
time...
Referrals
Service
delivery from
clinics
Non-clinic
based SDPs
eg. CBDs,
mobile outreach
MA
HQ
And
beyond
RO
Service statistics,
clinic management,
inventory, finances,
donor reporting
requirements,
progress against
indicators...
CO
Global
donor
reports,
publications
OpenEMR dissemination
Challenges
 Service provider training and interaction with




system
Data from non-static clinic service delivery points
Slow culture change to data use (difference
between service providers and management)
Infrastructure (IT facilities, power supplies, backup)
Maintenance costs of infrastructure (and related
funding commitments and sustainability issues)
Conference title | Conference date
Thank You
jguiney@ippf.org
amckinley@ippf.org