Demographic Data Exchange (DDE) is a centralized system for distributing unique patient identifiers and sharing patient demographics across different facilities in the country (Malawi). The system achieves this by generating nationally standardized patient identifiers and assigning and synchronizing them across all connected sites alongside the patient demographic data for records duplication across EMR facilities. The health care providers are able to access patients data when they transfer from one facility to the other via VPN. Currently, the system has been piloted in 8 central hospitals. The DDE has since recorded over 7,000,000 clients. The system enables the synchronization of patient demographic records to all connected EMRS sites from the DDE national instance.
Nationwide
Challenges
Currently, in Malawi, only those who are of the age of 18 or above have National IDs. As such, there is a need to come up with other innovative ways of generating National Health IDS. Another challenge is how to allocate and assign IDs to Health Facilities and synchronization of Demographic data elements across all connected sites.
Interventions
One of the interventions was generating the National Health IDS and coming up with a way of managing EMRS clients' duplicates.
The health care providers are able to access patients data when they transfer from one facility to the other via VPN.