Grand Rapids, MI – JUNE 13, 2023: CURE International, a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of eight charitable pediatric hospitals in developing countries, is building an open-source electronic medical record (EMR) system that will be available to other hospitals in developing countries — dramatically increasing the efficiency of medical institutions around the world.
For billions of people, medical records are printed or handwritten on paper or cards and given to patients for safekeeping. Paper records are not uniform; are frequently lost, damaged, or illegible; cannot be updated; and take valuable time for medical staff to process.
The EMR system will allow hospitals to safely and reliably digitize, store, and easily access outpatient and inpatient clinical data, diagnostic results, monitoring and evaluation data, and surgical details in one centralized system. The US Government Accountability Office benchmark for the length of stay reduction associated with EMR systems is 30%¹, allowing more patients to receive even better treatment through more efficient use of existing resources.
“As a hospital network that treats children with treatable disabilities around the world, CURE knows firsthand that EMR systems allow more children to have better and faster access to life-changing medical care,” said Justin Narducci, President/CEO of CURE International. “We are always looking for ways to maximize our impact and strongly believe that building the most comprehensive open source EMR for nonprofit hospitals will be a major leap forward for our team and children who are in need of medical care.”
Once completed, the system will be made available in an open-source format to all medical institutions around the world, allowing for relatively easy customization and implementation in hundreds of unique hospital and clinical settings.
The software is being developed by Thoughtworks, a global technology development firm, and is based on the Bahmni and OpenMRS open source projects. The project is funded by a generous grant from the Kingdom Giving Fund (KGF) and is expected to be fully developed, operational, and shared with the world by January 2025.
1. US General Accounting Office Information technology: Benefits realized for selected health care functions. Washington, DC: General Accounting Office, 2003.
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About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization operating a global network of eight children’s hospitals that offer free surgical interventions for children living with treatable disabilities. CURE hospitals provide life-changing care for children suffering from conditions such as cleft lip/palate, neglected clubfoot, bowed legs, burn contractures, spina bifida, brain tumors, and hydrocephalus. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients and their communities. Since its first hospital opened in 1998, CURE has completed more than 5 million patient visits and 315,000 life-changing surgeries. For more information, visit https://cureintlstg.wpengine.com.
About Thoughtworks
Thoughtworks is a global technology consultancy that integrates strategy, design, and engineering to drive digital innovation. We are over 11,500 people strong across 51 offices in 18 countries. For 30 years, we’ve delivered extraordinary impact together with our clients by helping them solve complex business problems with technology as the differentiator. For more information, visit https://www.thoughtworks.com.
About CURE International
CURE International is a Christian nonprofit organization that operates a global network of pediatric surgical hospitals, which serve one of the world’s most marginalized and vulnerable populations – children with disabilities. Patients at CURE hospitals suffer from orthopedic, neurosurgical, and maxillofacial conditions that limit their mobility/functionality and opportunities for education and employment. In addition to world-class clinical service, CURE intentionally ministers to the emotional and spiritual needs of patients in its care and invests in training programs that aim to equip the next generation of health workers and strengthen national health care systems. Since inception, CURE has conducted more than 5.3 million patient visits and 330,000 surgical procedures around the world. For more information, visit https://cure.org/.
