Hi all,
DHIS 2 version 2.13 is out. This release brings some great new features and a much improved Web API.
(Demo login is admin/district)
- Dashboard: We have a completely new dashboard which brings lots of new features. It is focused around search - you can use the search area at the top to look for and include maps, charts, pivot tables, users, reports by clicking on “Add” in the search result. You can now have any number of personal dashboards - for instance can create one for each subject you find interesting and easily switch between them. You can put any number of items on each dashboard and drag-and-drop to arrange them in your preferred order. Maps and pivot tables can now be embedded directly (previously they appeared as links). Dashboards can be shared with other users or group of users, just like you do with charts and pivot tables.
Check it out here.
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Touch-device optimized data visualizer App: We have a new App which lets you do advanced analysis and visualize your data as a wide range of charts, including bar, column, line, pie, area. It works similar to current data visualizer module, only optimized for smartphones and tablets. You can load any predefined chart and create new charts which later can be saved as favorites. The app is web-based and therefore completely integrated with the charts you create in the current visualizer module on the web. It is pretty cool - try it out on your smartphone or tablet by pointing it to http://apps.dhis2.org/demo and select “smartphone” as the log in option, or directly on the web.
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Apps are now completely integrated in the menu system, both in “services” menu and in the system overview page, and are now first-class components in DHIS 2. On the demo you can check it out by looking for “Mobile visualizer”. Apps are light-weight web applications which can be uploaded through the user interface in the “App management” module under “maintenance”. Read more about the app concept and apps in DHIS 2.
The mobile visualizer app can be downloaded from http://appstore.dhis2.org
- The analysis tools - GIS, visualizer (charts) and pivot table - now feature more flexible selection of organisation units through three modes. Select the mode by clicking the gear icon under “organisation units”. You can select organisation units by levels, for instance you easily select all facilities in a province by first selecting the province from the tree, then the facility level in the level drop-down. You can select organisation units by groups, for instance you can select a province and then all public facilities inside it. You can also select multiple organisation units as “boundaries” in GIS. This has been harmonized and works similarly across all modules.
Screenshot select by level | select by group
- Data surveillance and alerts: We now have a new component for data monitoring / surveillance and user alerts. It lets you monitor data, look for outbreaks and send alerts to users for notifiable conditions like measles, cholera and yellow fever outbreaks. The solution is an extension of validation rules - you can set rule type to “surveillance” (as opposed to “validation”). With surveillance rules, you can compare current data on the left side with previous data on the right side. You can define a “sequential sample count” implying the number of preceding values to compare with. You can also define an “annual sample count” meaning the number of years to compare for the same period as the current. The average value will be used and you can define a number of high and low outliers to be excluded from the average. Monitoring can be scheduled as a nightly task which checks the data entered since yesterday from “data administration” → “scheduling”. You can configure validation rules as usual under “services” → “data quality”. You can define which roles of user should be alerted when notifiable conditions are detected from “validation rule groups”. Alerts will be delivered as DHIS messages, which can be configured to be forwarded to email and SMS as usual.
Data surveillance docs here.
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Integration of analysis module: We have integrated and harmonized the GIS (map), visualizer (chart) and pivot table modules to make them appear as one. You can now move seamlessly between table, chart and map visualizations of data. For instance, you can load a pivot table, then click on a cell and click to render the table as a chart. You can also click in the top-right corner to visualize the whole table as a map or chart. Check it out by loading this pivot table, then visualize as chart or map. You can also go back to the previous table / chart / map from the top-right menu. Screenshot here.
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GIS now supports reporting rates for data sets - you can now visualize reporting rates on maps. In the thematic layers, select “data sets” under value type. Example here.
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GIS now supports relative periods - you can now create maps which updates itself over time, for instance for “last month”. Select “relative” under “period type”. Example here.
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Embedded analysis: All analysis modules now feature plugins which make it simple to embed maps, charts and pivot tables straight in web pages like portals. Check it out on our portal demo at http://apps.dhis2.org/portal
Image maps | Table plugin | Chart plugin | Map plugin | Carousel plugin
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Pivot table lets you include the organisation unit hierarchy inside the pivot. You can select “show hierarchy” under “options”. Example here.
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Pivot table now supports legend sets for improved visualization. You can select a pre-defined legend set under “options”. Check it out on the demo here.
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Pivot table supports “details”, meaning selection of individual category option combos for data elements. Under “data elements”, select “details” and then your desired items. Example here.
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Data visualizer now supports radar charts. Example here.
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External access level: The sharing solution has been extended with an external access level. This means that you can make reports, resources, charts, maps and pivot tables available without logging into the system. This is ideal e.g. when you want to share a report with someone not having a user account in the system. After clicking on the sharing icon next to some object. Screenshot here.
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Tabular report (analysis for event data) is much improved. It is now built on top of a new analytics Web API resource for event data, making it really fast and scalable for large databases. You can use it for querying events and producing aggregate data reports. You can select date ranges, relative periods, organisation units, attributes, identifiers and data elements as report dimensions and filters. Check it out on the demo here. Event query screenshot. Aggregate report screenshot.
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Custom locales for database translations: You can now specify any locale for database translations. Translations can be created under “data administration” → “locales”. Database translations now also works with fallback. This is convenient e.g. in a global setup, where you can provide a complete translation for Spanish, then provide a specific translation for Mexican Spanish, where you only translate the elements which are specific to Mexican - the system will fall back to Spanish when Mexican Spanish translations do not exist.
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Internationalization of login, account restore and create account pages: Users can now select their language from the drop-down in the bottom-left of the login page. This is handy in a multi-country deployment. The locale is stored in the local storage of the browser. Check it out on the demo by logging out.
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Data entry (aggregate) now lets you view the data and complete registrations which have been captured of offline. This makes it easier to keep track of what has been entered into the system while offline.
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Indicators support various mathematical formulas, like absolute numbers, sin, cos, tan, square root, ln, log and modulus. You can add it directly in indicator numerator and denominator screen.
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Import-export of events with registrations: The import-export module now lets you import and export events which are linked to registered persons. Look under “import-export” → “event data import” and “event data import” here.
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Improved messaging in tracker: New feature that allows the DHIS user to monitor progress of a multi-stage program through:
i) automated messages as SMS or DHIS messages to registered persons phones or DHIS users
ii) send when a program is started or completed
iii) send when a stage is completed
iv) live message feed on the dashboard
- Multiple stage programs in tracker - more flexibility to meet local needs:
i) combine registration, enrollment and the first mandatory stage into a more seamless process
ii) define custom linkages between programs, e.g. to make it easier to enroll a baby into a child health program directly after the delivery stage of the mother program
iii) schedule events based on either incidence or enrollment dates
iv) define gentle reminders to users when a stage is completed, e.g. to make sure the next is scheduled
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Custom registration and enrollment forms in tracker: Simplify the person registration and enrollment process by designing custom forms only using the attributes and identifiers that are relevant to your program and in the layout that you require. No need to bother the user with all the irrelevant details anymore.
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Improved PNG maps: The PNG maps now support pre-defined legend sets, data set reporting rates, multiple map layers in the same map. It can be accessed under /api/maps in the Web API. Example here.
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Message recipients: Messages now show the recipients inside the conversation. Check it out here.
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Text areas in data entry. Data elements of type “long text” now render as text areas in aggregate data entry.
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Clean menu design: The menu system has been given a more modern look and it better suited for touch-screen devices, with larger areas to click on.
For developers and the technically interested, we have a much improved Web API with lots of new features. General docs here.
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Support for creating, modifying and removing persons. Docs.
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Enrolling persons into programs, completing and cancelling. Docs.
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User and system settings. Docs.
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Information relevant to current user. Docs.
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Information about the DHIS instance / system. Docs.
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Event analytics. Aggregate reports and event queries. Docs.
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Dashboard API resource. Docs.
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Support for sending messages to user groups. Docs.
Get the Live package, WAR file and source code from here: http://www.dhis2.org/downloads
Documentation and javadocs here: http://www.dhis2.org/documentation
Full list of blueprints: https://launchpad.net/dhis2/+milestone/2.13
This release had contributions from PSI, Critical Software and Yuriy Ivanovich - much appreciated!
Enjoy the new features.
best regards,
the DHIS 2 development team
*"HealthInformation Management - Making a World of Difference”
