KMRI

Kibera Medical Record Initiative

Increasing global urbanization has led to the growth of urban slums, challenged by fragmented and inefficient health care services. This is evident in Kibera (Nairobi, Kenya), one of Africa's largest slums. With a population of 270,000, it is serviced by over 100 clinics. Each clinic operations in isolation of one another. The Kibera Medical Record Initiative (KMRI) introduced a primary care Electronic Medical Record System (EMRS) to improve healthcare resource utilization.

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The EMRS was developed based on the OpenMRS platform, an open source software platform. The pilot system was deployed in 2012 to three representative clinics in Kibera. 

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Prior to the release of the system, residents of the Kibera slum often were unaware of what services were available at clinics within their community, as were the operators of the 100 independent clinics. Clinics didn't have the technology infrastructure to manage patient data, transfer or refer patients, or even understand what services were available at their peer clinics.

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KMRI is a modern, cloud-based MRS that operates to support hundreds of thousands of patients in Kenya to centralize healthcare services while putting the control of data in the hands of those patients. KMRI improves patient care, enables referrals, and incorporates a Geographic Information System (GIS) to allow health care workers to map outbreaks and allocate resources.

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The platform has been recognized at a federal level in Kenya.