title: The AMPATH Nutritional Information System: designing a food distribution electronic record system in rural Kenya.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The AMPATH program is a leading initiative in rural Kenya providing healthcare services to combat HIV. Malnutrition and food insecurity are common among AMPATH patients and the Nutritional Information System (NIS) was designed, with cross-functional collaboration between engineering and medical communities, as a comprehensive electronic system to record and assist in effective food distribution in a region with poor infrastructure.
  
  
  METHODS
  The NIS was designed modularly to support the urgent need of a system for the growing food distribution program. The system manages the ordering, storage, packing, shipping, and distribution of fresh produce from AMPATH farms and dry food supplements from the World Food Programme (WFP) and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) based on nutritionists' prescriptions for food supplements. Additionally, the system also records details of food distributed to support future studies.
  
  
  METHODS
  Patients fed weekly, patient visits per month.
  
  
  RESULTS
  With inception of the NIS, the AMPATH food distribution program was able to support 30,000 persons fed weekly, up from 2,000 persons. Patient visits per month also saw a marked increase.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The NIS' modular design and frequent, effective interactions between developers and users has positively affected the design, implementation, support, and modifications of the NIS. It demonstrates the success of collaboration between engineering and medical communities, and more importantly the feasibility for technology readily available in a modern country to contribute to healthcare delivery in developing countries like Kenya and other parts of sub-Saharan Africa.
authors.affiliation: School of Industrial Engineering, Purdue University, 315 N. Grant St., Grissom Hall, 261. West Lafayette, IN 47907-2023, USA.
authors.forename: Jason LitJeh
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: Yuehwern
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Yih
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gichunge
authors.forename: William M
authors.initials: WM
authors.lastname: Tierney
authors.forename: Tung H
authors.initials: TH
authors.lastname: Le
authors.forename: Jun
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Mark A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Lawley
authors.forename: Tomeka J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Petersen
authors.forename: Joseph J
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Mamlin
mesh_terms: D019587:Dietary Supplements; D005522:Food Services / Q000458:organization & administration*; D015658:HIV Infections / Q000517:prevention & control; D006801:Humans; D007256:Information Systems; D007630:Kenya; D044342:Malnutrition / Q000178:diet therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control; D040841:Resource Allocation / Q000458:organization & administration*; D019035:Rural Health Services; D012985:Software Design; D018511:Systems Integration; D013813:Therapy, Computer-Assisted; D014584:User-Computer Interface