Explore the origins and growth of Bahmni, an open-source digital public good for healthcare infrastructure in resource-challenged areas. Learn about the challenges and decisions involved in integrating various open-source projects into a hospital management system. Discover how the Bahmni project is sustained through investments and voluntary contributions, addressing unique requirements for users in low-internet areas. Dive into the collaboration efforts and impact of digital public goods in the health tech sector, supporting projects aligned with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
Bahmni is a versatile open-source HIMS supporting healthcare facilities worldwide.
Shift to product mindset and governance transparency fueled Bahmni's growth and adoption.
Enhancements in design and interoperability drive Bahmni's recognition as a digital public good.
Deep dives
Introduction of Bhamni: A Comprehensive HIMS
Bhamni is introduced as a Hospital Information Management System (HIMS) that integrates various hospital capabilities from registration to clinical management, test collaboration, radiology, pharmacy inventory, and billing. Originating from ThoughtWorks' social impact program, initiated in response to a remote hospital's resource challenges in 2012, Bhamni began as a project to support healthcare facilities.
Evolution of Bhamni into a Product
Initially conceived to aid a specific hospital's care quality, Bhamni expanded due to positive word - of - mouth to NGOs and hospitals like CERT and Dr. Prakash Shanti's in rural Maharashtra. As requests and adoptions increased, a shift to viewing Bhamni as a product emerged, aligning with the global NTB initiative, catalyzing its growth and adoption across Asian and African countries since 2015.
Transition to Product Management and Community Collaboration
The transition to managing multiple users necessitated adapting Bhamni for versatility and low - resource settings, prioritizing configurability over customization. Enhanced governance transparency and community involvement, including a product management team, signified a strategic shift to accommodate diverse user needs and maintain adaptability.
Integration Challenges and Evolutionary Trends
Enhancements in architectural design to address low - resource contexts emphasized resilience and reliability, tailoring interfaces for touch - friendly usage in medical settings. Integration with OpenMRS and other systems highlighted challenges in interoperability, event - driven architecture, and scalability, driving standards adoption like HL7fire for improved system resilience and data sharing.
Sustainability and Recognitions as a Digital Public Good
Bhamni's recognition as a digital public good aligns with its mission to contribute to UN Sustainable Development Goals, emphasizing the importance of software in achieving social impact. The coalition's focus on sustainability through diverse support mechanisms, such as monetary funding, voluntary contributions, and business models, ensures Bhamni's growth and adaptability across changing technology landscapes.
Bahmni started life as an open-source hospital information management system and electronic medical record for a single hospital in rural India. Today, it has more than 500 implementations in 50 countries across Africa and Asia, and is recognized as one of only 165 digital public goods by the Digital Public Goods Alliance.
Thoughtworks played a key part in bringing Bahmni into the world back in 2012. And although today it’s run and supported by a coalition of organizations, Thoughtworks continues to have a leading role in the project as a member of its Governing Committee.
To tell Bahmni’s unique story, Rebecca Parsons and Ken Mugrage speak with Satish Viswanathan and Angshuman Sarkar, two Thoughtworkers actively participating and contributing to the project. They discuss Bahmni’s origins and how it grew from a small, local tool to become a vital component in healthcare infrastructure in parts of the world that have long faced resource challenges.
Learn more about Bahmni: https://www.bahmni.org/
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