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Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar

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e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries (AFRICOMM 2011)

Abstract

Through a case study of health information system in Zanzibar, Tanzania, the article discusses adoption of free and open source software (FOSS) through strategic transition from a free Microsoft based application to a full-fledged java based FOSS application. Throughout the article, the adoption challenges and opportunities are discussed. The article contributes to approaches to FOSS adoption. Three areas are identified: the technical capacity of the software surpassing licensing terms, the role of local champions in initiating changes, and the importance of user capacity building prior to project adoption especially for a transitional project.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Informatics, University of Oslo, Norway

    Yahya Hamad Sheikh

  2. Department of Computer Science, The State University of Zanzibar, Tanzania

    Abubakar Diwani Bakar

Authors
  1. Yahya Hamad Sheikh
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  2. Abubakar Diwani Bakar
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Fraunhofer FOKUS, Kaiserin-Augusta Allee 31, 10589, Berlin, Germany

    Radu Popescu-Zeletin

  2. Schloss Birlinghoven, Fraunhofer FOKUS, 53757, Sankt, Augustin, Germany

    Karl Jonas

  3. The State University of Zanzibar, Zanzibar City, Tanzania

    Idris A. Rai

  4. Concordia University, H3G 2W1, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

    Roch Glitho

  5. FBK Center for Information Technology, 38122, Trento, Italy

    Adolfo Villafiorita

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© 2012 ICST Institute for Computer Science, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering

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Sheikh, Y.H., Bakar, A.D. (2012). Open Source Software Solution for Healthcare: The Case of Health Information System in Zanzibar. In: Popescu-Zeletin, R., Jonas, K., Rai, I.A., Glitho, R., Villafiorita, A. (eds) e-Infrastructure and e-Services for Developing Countries. AFRICOMM 2011. Lecture Notes of the Institute for Computer Sciences, Social Informatics and Telecommunications Engineering, vol 92. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-29093-0_14

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-642-29092-3

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-642-29093-0

  • eBook Packages: Computer ScienceComputer Science (R0)

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