SHINE OS+, an electronic medical record and referral system initiated by PLDT wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart), has been adapted in Nepal as a tool for disaster risk reduction.
Dr. Regina Estuar of Ateneo Java Wireless Competency Center (AJWCC) recently conducted a workshop on the open source platform with the Nursing Association of Nepal in Kathmandu. Smart has worked with AJWCC in developing Shine OS+, which stands for Secured Health Information Network and Exchange.
Shine OS+ Nepal was developed as a post-disaster surveillance system in 2015. Now called EpiNurse or Epidemiology + Nursing for Disaster Risk Reduction, the program will serve as a public health emergency reduction tool for the country. The program is seen as crucial in preventing disease outbreaks and consequently mitigating disaster risk.
Last May, EpiNurse received the Risk Award at the 2017 Global Platform for Disaster Risk Reduction in Cancun, Mexico. The award, issued every two years by the Munich Re Foundation, the UN office for Disaster Risk Reduction (UNISDR) and the Global Risk Forum Davos, honors innovations aimed at disaster risk mitigation.
For its part, Shine OS+ has received at least three recognitions this year alone: a Silver Anvil at the Anvil Awards of the Public Relations Society of the Philippines, a Merit Award at the Philippine Quill Awards of the International Association of Business Communicators, and the healthcare category winner at the Golden World Awards of the International Public Relations Association.
According to Estuar, EpiNurse provides a holistic approach by empowering nurses in Nepal not only in care management but also in surveillance reporting during the different phases of a disaster.
"EpiNurse will be powered by Shine OS+ in developing three applications that will allow EpiNurses to collect data at the school and community levels for preparedness, as well as surveillance data during and post-disaster," she said. "The system will be simple, straightforward and localized so that the language and the design suit the Nepal culture and community."
Estuar also said it was possible to apply the same technology for public health monitoring here in the Philippines. "EpiNurse aims to provide a global standard in disaster surveillance," she said.
Smart public affairs center head Maria Jane Paredes welcomed the replication of the project in Nepal.
"Shine OS+ has been embraced by medical practitioners here in the Philippines because of how it made patient information more organized and accessible, while keeping the data private. We hope Nepal benefits from this project as well," she said.
Shine OS+ is also available as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices to assist health workers on the field. Medical practitioners interested in Shine OS+ may email inquiry@shine.ph. (PR)