DHIS2 OpenLMIS COVID Teams collaboration
June 11th, 2020
Participants: OpenLMIS: @Rebecca Alban (Unlicensed) @Josh Zamor @Gaurav Bhattacharya (Unlicensed) @Satish Choudhury @Brandon Bowersox-Johnson
DHIS2: Scott , Rebecca P, Brian (their data person)
Notes:
DHIS2 package functionalities; It does basic aggregate data at facility level; not EPR; capture basic data allow it to be able to aggregate up the HMIS heighrcy ; not the same heicharchy as the supply chain. The goal is to make visibility into stock and stockouts of COVID supply chain deployment; visibility into stock status and maybe some additional indicators of days of stock availabe
Have been looking at WHO covid packages to get guidance on commodities to have at facilities ; built out basic metadata for that; stock received; stock requested; wastage and consumption. Just those 4 data values per commodity ; they can enter this data as often as they want (every day/month/whatever) ; this is not a tracking system and does not tie to warehouse
Finalizing their package now; have heard questions from a few countries, there is interest from Sri Lanka; some countries are doing logistics management for COVID using their own configurations; they are trying to get it finalized as soon as possible
Looking to fill the gap where countries are not covered by a logistics system; carved out a small space; they are being opportunistic because many countries already have DHIS2 at the facility level; want to do integrated analytics and How can we get the facility level data
Brandon: priorities for today
Putting out Best Practices for different scenarios: valuable to map out the different scenarios where our products can work together; 1) scenario where there is openlmis or other eLMIS and DHIS2: what is the best practice there (like in Malawi, to triangulate) 2) scenario where there is DHIS2 system that goes to facility level and only eLMIS at higher levels. If DHIS2 system has more data than the eLMIS. Then articulate the best practice
We would love for part of the DHIS2 roadmap so that OpenLMIS can be an app within DHIS2 to take a modular approach
Medexis did a similar exercise with DHIS2 to map out their interoperbility; George from DHIS2 could be someone who could help map this out
COVID Country Use cases- we are currently in the process of deploying in Cameroon and Zim; most countries will have requirement for DHIS2; How we can align the product lists that we are using and DHIS2 are using to make the data exchange more 1-1. The time is right to have this discussion.
Re-iterate scenarios and messaging around scenarios- if the MoH is looking for something; what is the ideal solution for their context; this would be a good service that we can offer
Go-Data: a tool that has recently explored for COVID; there are some challenges with their APIs. Its made for field based operations in an outbreak and then usually gets taken down whereas DHIS2 sits there for aggregated integrated disease reporting for the long term. The reality for Go-Data; they havent found a strong use case to push the Go Data into DHIS2 because there isnt
Question: Which data points need to be pushed back and forth? so do we need to define those first before we can recommend a tech platform? deciding what data is important has been difficult. To understand what a key list of logistics indicators is can pull from Malawi. Emergency indicators might look different from routine indicators.
Non routine data collection through ‘tracker’; if there are other tools that can be used along LMIS source data. First step is mapping out use cases.
Rebecca P: They can clean up and share what their package looks like.
The way indicators are calculated have not been optimized for supply chain. They should be calculated in OpenLMIS and then pushed into DHIS2 to be integrated with other data.
Cameroon has a good DHIS2 team and connection with HISP; DHIS2 are connected there with the MoH there and are interested in using Cameroon as a use case to connect around and bridge the collaboration. Zimbabwe might be easier from Gaurav’s perspective
We can share from OpenLMIS side (just between these 2 teams): product list, facility master, indicators; would be best to work off the same hierarchy/facility list. Metadata alignment is first step to any broader ineroperability effort. Are we looking at integration like on the slide or interoperability? How much time will it take? and when will we take this to the MoH?
Interoperability has prior use cases so we know its possible, but do we want to aim for integration. When we make recommendations about what a ‘tool should be’ we need to know if integration is possible. Explore technical scenarios. Full blown integration doesn't seem realistic because of timing for COVID; assuming countries want to move quickly we would want to build off existing interoperability efforts; forming these connection points is valuable and we need this ti understand the value add of each
-->ask Cameroon and Zim what they want; probably looking interoperability and not integration
in Malawi data was aggregated at regional level
Followup actions:
Rebecca P (DHIS2 team) clean up indicators list that they have been working on and share it with this group here
Figure out which is first country use case: @Gaurav Bhattacharya (Unlicensed) to consult with other members of the team to see when/how to present this to the Cameroon or Zim MoH; anticipates that he thinks it would be welcome
Eventually: build out scenarios (as Brandon described) (this is the ‘fast’ one for COVID; this is the ‘long term’ one; this is the ‘OpenHIE’ philosophy, etc.) Give countries options, how they do each one, benefits, high/low effort
We @Gaurav Bhattacharya (Unlicensed) or @Satish Choudhury will share our commodities list and any list of data points/reports/indicators that we have
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