SHINE OS+ (Secured Health Information Network and Exchange) illustrates perfectly how technology can be harnessed to improve existing services.
SHINE, an electronic medical record (EMR) and referral system funded by Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), and developed by the Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center, was recently deployed at Gawad Kalinga Ark of Noah in Barangay Taal, Bocaue, Bulacan.
Gawad Kalinga Ark of Noah, which is composed of 79 families, has a community clinic formally opened in August. Before that, the clinic was a makeshift structure made of pawid or leaves from the mangrove palm.
“SHINE is the perfect fit for Ark of Noah, which is a very organized and modern community. Thus, I believe the people here will benefit from SHINE and what it can do,” said Dr. Elmer Soriano, managing director of Civika Knowledge Management Solutions Inc.
It was Civika that made a proposal to Smart to implement SHINE in Gawad Kalinga villages and possibly in other GK communities as well.
SHINE OS+ runs on an open source platform, allowing developers to design modules and plug-ins to customize it according to the needs of beneficiary communities. The platform refers patients to better-equipped health facilities electronically, reminds them of appointments and medication via SMS and submits relevant patient information to the Philippine Health Insurance Corp. for faster processing of claims and health statistics.
The Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center also developed SHINE OS+ Mobile to make it accessible to health professionals anytime, anywhere.
“The launch of SHINE OS+ in Ark of Noah is compatible with our efforts to disseminate information about health and nutrition to the people of Barangay Taal,” said Barangay Taal captain Ren Eusebio.
“SHINE OS+ will help health workers so that they don’t need to search for and retrieve files manually. No matter what happens, in the event of a disaster like floods, the files are there. They won’t be destroyed. They won’t disappear,” said Soriano.
Tia de Vera is a 17-year-old student from the United States who has done volunteer work in Haiti. The daughter of two Filipino doctors, she is interning at GK Ark of Noah for three weeks to help with the SHINE OS+ implementation there.
“I was briefed about SHINE OS+ and I am amazed at what it can do for this community and communities in general,” said Tia, who will be encoding the medical information of the GK Ark of Noah residents.
She is also tasked with helping develop a manual for using SHINE OS+ in GK sites.
Dr. Reena Estuar, head of the Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center, explained that because it is an open-source platform, SHINE OS+ allows developers from anywhere in the country and the world to create additional features for the apps.
She stressed that any information provided to SHINE OS+ is private and confidential. New features include an electronic prescription module, a disease-tracking and monitoring plug-in, an offline version of the program for those with limited internet access and Android and iOS apps for use of health workers on the field.
The partnership between SHINE OS+ and Civika involves helping rural health units (RHUs) use SHINE OS+ as their primary EMR system to create a medical databank for GK communities.
Launched in 2011, SHINE OS+ primarily targets RHUs, which use the system for free, as these are mostly situated hours away from tertiary hospitals, which have specialists and more advanced equipment. Paid plug-ins and extensions are also available to private clinics and hospitals. SHINE OS+ is now being used by a network of 86 RHUs, 44 private hospitals, and 32 public hospitals.
This year alone, SHINE OS+ was recognized by three local and international awards programs. It won a silver Anvil at the Anvil Awards, given by the Public Relations Society of the Philippines; and a merit award at the Philippine Quill Awards, organized by the International Association of Business Communicators-Philippines. SHINE OS+ was also announced as winner in the healthcare category of the Golden World Awards, organized by the International Public Relations Association.
Those interested in SHINE OS+ may send an email to [email protected].