ArticleBMC palliative care2013
Novel open-source electronic medical records system for palliative care in low-resource settings.
Article in BMC palliative care, 2013. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
9 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- An appraisal of published usability evaluations of electronic health records via systematic review.Journal of the American Medical Informatics Association : JAMIA · 2017Pooled it
- Identification and mapping of mHealth interventions applied in palliative care in Sub Saharan Africa: a scoping review.BMC palliative care · 2026Article
- Involving Health Care Professionals in the Development of Electronic Health Records: Scoping Review.JMIR human factors · 2023Article
- A systematic review of the use of the electronic health record for patient identification, communication, and clinical support in palliative care.JAMIA open · 2018Article
- Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) in Malawi: Implementation gaps and challenges for timely alert.PloS one · 2018Article
- Examination of patient flow in a rural health center in Malawi.BMC research notes · 2016Article
- Maji: a new tool to prevent overhydration of children receiving intravenous fluid therapy in low-resource settings.The American journal of tropical medicine and hygiene · 2015Article
- The role of digital health in palliative care for people living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa: A systematic review.Digital healthArticle
- Assessment of a Hospital Palliative Care Unit (HPCU) for Cancer Patients; A Conceptual Framework.Indian journal of palliative careArticle
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
7 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
backgroundThe need for palliative care in sub-Saharan Africa is staggering: this region shoulders over 67% of the global burden of HIV/AIDS and cancer. However, provisions for these essential services remain limited and poorly integrated with national health systems in most nations. Moreover, the evidence base for palliative care in the region remains scarce. This study chronicles the development and evaluation of DataPall, an open-source electronic medical records system that can be used to track patients, manage data, and generate reports for palliative care providers in these settings.DataPall was developed using design criteria encompassing both functional and technical objectives articulated by hospital leaders and palliative care staff at a leading palliative care center in Malawi. The database can be used with computers that run Windows XP SP 2 or newer, and does not require an internet connection for use. Subsequent to its development and implementation in two hospitals, DataPall was tested among both trained and untrained hospital staff populations on the basis of its usability with comparison to existing paper records systems as well as on the speed at which users could perform basic database functions. Additionally, all participants evaluated this program on a standard system usability scale.
resultsIn a study of health professionals in a Malawian hospital, DataPall enabled palliative care providers to find patients' appointments, on average, in less than half the time required to locate the same record in current paper records. Moreover, participants generated customizable reports documenting patient records and comprehensive reports on providers' activities with little training necessary. Participants affirmed this ease of use on the system usability scale.
conclusionsDataPall is a simple, effective electronic medical records system that can assist in developing an evidence base of clinical data for palliative care in low resource settings. The system is available at no cost, is specifically designed to chronicle care in the region, and is catered to meet the technical needs and user specifications of such facilities.
Identifiers
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.