Automating Healthcare Data in Humanitarian Settings with MSF LIME

Healthcare staff in conflict zones and disaster response sites often spend hours manually transferring patient information between systems, time that could be spent providing direct care.

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is addressing this challenge with MSF LIME, an automated data exchange solution that connects OpenMRS electronic medical records with DHIS2 reporting systems, which is now ready for deployment.

The challenge

In most resource-poor settings, MSF follows a paper-based registration system with manual file searches that are labor and time-consuming. Proper clinical care depends on accurate collection of medical information over time and sharing data between different caregivers to make informed decisions. Manual processes create challenges with patient identification, clinical management, follow-up, and proper medical record-keeping practices.

The solution

MSF is developing a patient-centered, well-designed, and context-appropriate EMR tool that addresses these challenges. Working with OpenFn, MSF has built an automated integration that connects OpenMRS (Open Medical Record System) with DHIS2, seamlessly integrating patient-level clinical data with aggregation tools.

The automated data exchange supports improved diagnosis, care, and long-term patient follow-up while giving program managers a clearer view of healthcare delivery across field sites. The solution is designed as a generic model that can respond to different settings, medical typologies, and levels of care, with a single backend configuration that works across MSF's operations.

Designed for scale

Rather than building custom integrations for each location, MSF created a reusable solution ready for implementation across multiple field sites, from conflict zones to disaster response locations. The system enables real-time program monitoring, allowing MSF leadership to make data-driven decisions with up-to-date information flowing automatically from patient encounters to organizational dashboards.

Get started with workflow automation

If your organization needs to automate data exchange between systems in challenging environments, OpenFn can help.

Sign up for free, book a demo, join our weekly community drop-in sessions every Wednesday or learn more about the MSF LIME project.

Disclosure: This article was developed with the assistance of AI to improve organization and content development.