Medicine in a forgotten corner of Africa: how EMR can benefit the developing world - The FIMRC and EMR4DW experience

Abstract

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the disease prevalence of a rural African village and discuss how to maximize the outcomes of health projects. The analysis was based on electronic medical records (EMR) at a clinic in Bududa, Uganda. The installation of EMR in such a low-resource setting enabled efficient statistical analysis.

Materials and methods: Medical records from January 2013 to September 2017 were analyzed. During the study period, the top five disease categories diagnosed in Bududa district were diseases of the respiratory system, certain infectious and parasitic diseases, diseases of the digestive system, diseases of the skin and subcutaneous tissue, and others.

Results: Infectious and parasitic disease, diseases of digestive system, and diseases of skin and subcutaneous tissue are major diseases. With the exception of the year 2017, extracted data shows that there is a significant increased prevalence of malaria after the rainy season, April and May.

Conclusions: The authors expect an installation of EMR in the developing world in association with epidemiological research will guide different stakeholders including the government and healthcare providers to optimize the use of limited resources for which disease categories at what time. In addition, establishing a map of disease prevalence and incidence will yield more cost-effective strategies for enhancing the quality of life in low-resource settings.