An Electronic Medical Record system to support HIV treatment in rural Haiti.
HIV-AIDS has become the world's leading infectious cause of adult deaths. Approximately 5% of Haiti's adult population is infected with HIV, making it the most affected nation in the western hemisphere[1]. The non-governmental organization Zanmi Lasante (ZL) launched an innovative program 5 years ago to treat HIV patients in the very impoverished central plateau with highly active anti-retroviral therapy (HAART)[1]. ZL currently follows more than 4000 HIV-positive patients, over 10% of whom are already on HAART, and was recently awarded funds from the Haitian grant from the Global Fund to fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Expanding treatment in a region with few doctors and virtually no roads, electricity, or electronic communication is a major challenge requiring careful coordination of clinical care, investigations and drug supplies. We describe a prototype Electronic Medical Record system to support treatment of HIV and tuberculosis in remote and impoverished areas.
Jazayeri
Darius
D
Dept. of Social Medicine, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
Farmer
Paul
P
Nevil
Patrice
P
Mukherjee
Joia S
JS
Leandre
Fernet
F
Fraser
Hamish S F
HS
D015658:HIV Infections / Q000628:therapy*; D006205:Haiti; D006801:Humans; D016347:Medical Records Systems, Computerized; D019035:Rural Health Services; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted