January 5, 2011  This past month Phil Freeman, Carly Joy, Joe Freeman, and Kathy Chang Freeman (Kathy and Joe were recently married and are spending their honeymoon helping out Engeye in a big way) travelled to Ddegeya to install Engeye's first medical record system. The system was custom designed for Engeye with Joe's intimate knowledge of Ddegeya (Joe has travelled to Ddegeya many times as a pharmacist) and Phil's information technology expertise. Dr. Kathy Freeman and Carly will be on hand to work with the staff, troubleshoot, and leave the clinic with a well-functioning system! The system is intended to be simple and user friendly, but packs a big punch. The records will automatically interface with a pharmacy system so that the clinic can efficiently track and monitor pharmaceutical stocks. Further, the system has been designed to synchronize with a database in the United States so that Engeye doctors can assist in patient diagnosis when asked and help ensure that best practices are taking place. This will also help Engeye gather health statistics, which will inform the direction the clinic takes and may help medical missions prepare before arriving in Ddegeya. How does a laptop in Uganda synchronize with Engeye's US Team? Phil is using a mobile cell phone network to connect the two continents together (over an encrypted connection to protect patient data). This system is a big step for Engeye. The clinic has had problems in the past ensuring pharmacy stocks and has had to make frequent runs to our suppliers to ensure we have all the drugs we need on hand. Further, patient records throughout Uganda have always been the responsibility of the patient. Engeye, like other clinics, provides patients with a notebook on their first visit; the patient is responsible for bringing this book to and from the clinic on subsequent visits. Our system will relieve the patient of this responsibility and our backup systems will ensure that patient data is safely secured. You can read more about the team's progress at their blog: Phil and Carly in Africa |
