The LAISDAR federated data network (FDN) of 15 hospitals was established in Rwanda. A Consortium was created and led by the University of Rwanda, Ghent University, and the Rwanda Biomedical Centre. Belgium-based edenceHealth’s role was to design and implement the technical solution - the first time an EHDEN SME has worked with Data Partners in Africa.
Electronic health record (EHR) data at each site, which includes events like procedures, diagnoses, and prescriptions, was to be augmented with COVID-related data collected at the national level during testing, surveillance, and vaccination efforts by the Rwandan Ministry of Health (MOH). With this network, LAISDAR aimed to support the Rwandan government in monitoring and predicting the COVID-19 burden. The project also set out to study the impact of various public health measures on the pandemic’s evolution, socioeconomic situations of Rwandans, and mental health.
EdenceHealth’s role in the LAISDAR project was to design and implement the technical solution, support the data harmonisation of the different source systems, and support the data sites through deployments and trainings. Fourteen healthcare sites were selected for participation in this project, all of which used either OpenMRS or OpenClinicGA as their primary EHR system.
In addition, the Extract-Transform-Load (ETL) processes retrieved site-specific data from (1) national COVID-19 testing registry, and (2) a national survey conducted as part of the project, in order to enrich the sites’ core data sets. Each data site’s data were mapped to OMOP, and an API established at a central server hosted by the MOH facilitated encrypted data transfer between the central COVID data repository and the core EHR data.
We installed and configured all software on fourteen Mac Mini computers, and hand delivered a Mac Mini to each healthcare site in the network. We used Docker to package and deploy all the tools on each machine – this included the OMOP database instance (PostgreSQL), Atlas, R/RStudio (w/HADES), Achilles/DQD, and ARES Indexer. In addition, the ETL programme, developed using Python and SQL, was deployed using Docker. In order to manage system updates, apply application updates, and orchestrate processes, we used SimpleMDM, an Apple-focused mobile device management solution.
For detailed information about the project:-
Mapping Rwandan hospitals to OMOP CDM
OHDSI 2021 Global Symposium, 14-Sep-2021
