Project Overview

HISTAC is a collaboration between UCSF, Makerere University in Uganda, and the University of Nairobi in Kenya. Together, we implement the CDC-sponsored Technical Assistance Platform (TAP) project. The main goal of the project is twofold: 

• Provide technical assistance to USG-supported countries in the area of health information systems (HIS).
• Develop various digital global goods to improve healthcare delivery and improve public health outcomes on a broader scale.

Areas of Support

Within the HISTAC project, our team leverages its expertise to provide support across various critical activities and areas, including:

• OpenMRS — an open-source medical record platform
• Client Registries and Master Patient Indices — supporting linkage of clients across various services in the health system
• National Health Data Dictionaries — facilitating a uniform vocabulary for medical terms in a country, enabling data exchanges between systems
• Data Exchange — facilitating electronic exchange of data (e.g., between an electronic medical record system and a laboratory system)
• Monitoring and Evaluation — defining indicators and logic frameworks
• Enterprise Architectures — defining blueprints and roadmaps for a national eHealth infrastructure

Accomplishments

Implementation of enhancements to OpenMRS

• Introduction of a React-based forms engine, easing data collection in point-of-care settings
• Development of MambaETL, automating the conversion of name-value data (long) data tables into a wide format for simplified reporting
• Creation of functional packages for managing data related to Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), Tuberculosis (TB), Prevention of Mother-to-Child Transmission of HIV (PMTCT) and COVID-19. The packages define a set of forms, lists and concepts to kick-start implementers to utilize OpenMRS
• Integration of enhancements such as lab orders and pharmacy orders
• Engagement with key OpenMRS developers and implementers, including OpenMRS Inc., fostering community collaboration
• Provision of technical assistance to various OpenMRS implementers across Uganda, Kenya, Rwanda, Nigeria and Ethiopia

Additional Accomplishments

• Establishment of a national health data dictionary in Kenya in collaboration with the Ministry of Health
• Support for the development of executive dashboards in Zambia, enhancing data visualization and decision-making
• Development of an enterprise architecture in Botswana to guide strategic infrastructure planning, scalability and mitigating data security risks
• Implementation of an M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) system in Thailand and Cambodia to track progress and outcomes of their projects

Key Leadership