Greetings. I am aware this topic has been discussed few times. But i would like to come back on this seeking a fresh perspective in the context of 2.42 and 2.43 version.
Can DHIS2 be used as EMR (with a custom app) if complexity of the operations are simpler?
I understand main challenges are around freqent updating optionsets, prescriptions, lab, accounting, invoicing etc.
Assuming if we build a custom web app to mitigate these challenges, can DHIS2 handle a big hospital like thousands of concurrent daily data records?
What are the other challenges you would think of DHIS2 in the context of EMR.
If you mean by the custom app an Android app then the above topic is a real world example of this implementation, but I think that the same idea might be possible by creating a ReactJS DHIS2 web app.
It’s easy to say ‘yes’ but to get there requires expertise in properly setting up the infrastructure and software configuration. Technically, one of the features that enable DHIS2 to handle all this is the use of PostgreSQL database which is specifically designed for these large-scale implementations.
In short, I would start by mentioning the accounting side of an EMR which I remember @mike addressing with regards that DHIS2 is not trying to ‘replace’ these other models that are highly specialized for their specific use-cases. That being said, if the workflow is quite simple, you might be able to manage with a web app or like the example above, an android app.
The short answer is “not really” - it’s not about performance, it’s that the architecture of a tracker and an EMR are quite different. A DHIS2 Tracker is architecturally simpler (a real advantage for many use cases) and more constrained (which can be a barrier in complex hospital settings). For example, a DHIS2 Tracker records data elements rather than transactions, and doesn’t have the one-to-many data structure needed to capture complex operational data. (But this also means it’s much easier to analyse Tracker data.)
I’ve produced a webinar that explains in simple terms all of the different types of system within a typical health information system (HIS), and it includes a discussion on when to use a Tracker vs when to use an EMR (Mike Frost advised on the Tracker side of things, so we know it’s solid advice!). It’s a high-level overview, but you might find it a useful starting point:
