Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar

Yahya Sheikh; Abubakar Bakar

e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries. Third International ICST Conference, AFRICOMM 2011, Zanzibar, Tanzania, November 23-24, 2011, Revised Selected Papers

Research Article

Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar

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@INPROCEEDINGS{10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14,
    author={Yahya Sheikh and Abubakar Bakar},
    title={Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar},
    proceedings={e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries. Third International ICST Conference, AFRICOMM 2011, Zanzibar, Tanzania, November 23-24, 2011, Revised Selected Papers},
    proceedings_a={AFRICOMM},
    year={2012},
    month={5},
    keywords={open source software health information systems healthcare integration capacity building},
    doi={10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14}
}

Yahya Sheikh
Abubakar Bakar
Year: 2012
Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar
AFRICOMM
Springer
DOI: 10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14

Yahya Sheikh¹^,*, Abubakar Bakar²^,*

1: University of Oslo
2: The State University of Zanzibar

*Contact email: hamadys@ifi.uio.no, abubakar.bakari@suza.ac.tz

Abstract

Through a case study of health information system in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the article discusses adoption of free and open source software (FOSS) through strategic transition from a free Microsoft based application to a full-fledged java based FOSS application. Throughout the article, the adoption challenges and opportunities are discussed. The article contributes to approaches to FOSS adoption. Three areas are identified: the technical capacity of the software surpassing licensing terms, the role of local champions in initiating changes, and the importance of user capacity building prior to project adoption especially for a transitional project.

Keywords: open source software health information systems healthcare integration capacity building

Published: 2012-05-30

: http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14