A Preliminary Open Source Software Infrastructure for the Health Sector

Abstract

Information Technology (IT) is the key to ensuring that health care information is accessible when and where it is needed, and to supporting personal health, health care decision making, and health system sustainability. IT is making steady progress toward linking all aspects of patient care - it is the future of healthcare provision and it is growing fast. However, spending on new medical technology is considered a leading contributor to the increase in overall health spending. The development of IT systems in the health industry is often a high-cost venture. One way to address the problem of cost, and hence to improve the quality of the services provided by these systems, is to consider making IT applications available with no licensing fees through the Open Source Software community. This paper presents the initial development of a preliminary Open Source Software platform containing software that meets user requirements in the health sector. This platform is different from other medical Open Source Software, in that it integrates free open-source applications which range from operating systems to email systems. The paper also highlights the financial advantages of introducing Open Source Software and its positive impact on the quality of health services.