title: Managing research and surveillance projects in real-time with a novel open-source eManagement tool designed for under-resourced countries.
abstract: A software tool is developed to facilitate data entry and to monitor research projects in under-resourced countries in real-time.
  
  
  
  The eManagement tool "odk_planner" is written in the scripting languages PHP and Python. The odk_planner is lightweight and uses minimal internet resources. It was designed to be used with the open source software Open Data Kit (ODK). The users can easily configure odk_planner to meet their needs, and the online interface displays data collected from ODK forms in a graphically informative way. The odk_planner also allows users to upload pictures and laboratory results and sends text messages automatically. User-defined access rights protect data and privacy.
  
  
  
  We present examples from four field applications in Tanzania successfully using the eManagement tool: 1) clinical trial; 2) longitudinal Tuberculosis (TB) Cohort Study with a complex visit schedule, where it was used to graphically display missing case report forms, upload digitalized X-rays, and send text message reminders to patients; 3) intervention study to improve TB case detection, carried out at pharmacies: a tablet-based electronic referral system monitored referred patients, and sent automated messages to remind pharmacy clients to visit a TB Clinic; and 4) TB retreatment case monitoring designed to improve drug resistance surveillance: clinicians at four public TB clinics and lab technicians at the TB reference laboratory used a smartphone-based application that tracked sputum samples, and collected clinical and laboratory data.
  
  
  
  The user friendly, open source odk_planner is a simple, but multi-functional, Web-based eManagement tool with add-ons that helps researchers conduct studies in under-resourced countries.
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Andreas
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Jerry
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hella
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Servan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Grüninger
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Grace
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mhalu
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Francis
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Mhimbira
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Human Nutrition, Institute of Food, Nutrition, and Health, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Colin I
authors.initials: CI
authors.lastname: Cercamondi
authors.affiliation: Central Tuberculosis Reference Laboratory, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Programme, Tanzania.
authors.forename: Basra
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doulla
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Maire
authors.affiliation: Ifakara Health Institute, Dar es Salaam and Bagamoyo, Tanzania Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute, Basel, Switzerland University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland Institute of Social and Preventive Medicine, University of Bern, Switzerland lukas.fenner@unibas.ch.
authors.forename: Lukas
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Fenner
mesh_terms: D035843:Biomedical Research / Q000458:organization & administration*; D002986:Clinical Trials as Topic; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003628:Database Management Systems; D003906:Developing Countries; D006801:Humans; D020407:Internet; D012984:Software; D013636:Tanzania; D014376:Tuberculosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000628:therapy
keywords: Open Data Kit; data management tool; electronic data entry; open-source software; paperless; real-time monitoring