[FOSS_health] Re: [openhealth] Re: [oshca_members] OSHCA's Aims and Objectives

[Tim Cook]

Thanks for the clarification that Primacare is not open source.

Regards,
Tim


On Sat, 2007-12-01 at 12:57 +1100, Tim Churches wrote:
> Molly Cheah wrote:
> > Dear all,
> > In view of the type of posts to these lists and that I do not wish
> to be
> > drawn to the same type of exchanges that led to the demise of OSHCA
> from
> > 2003-2006, I would like to make the following statement. Besides, I
> do
> > not have the time, interest and energy to do this, particularly for
> the
> > next 2-3 weeks.
> > 
> > I was given the mandate to resurrect OSHCA with the following
> outcomes.
> > 1. To register OSHCA in a developing country. (Done)
> > 2. To organise OSHCA conference after registration (Done)
> > 3. To obtain funding to organise the OSHCA conference (Done)
> > 4. To take over oshca.org from Minouru Corporation for OSHCA (Done)
> > 
> > I am a member of OSHCA in my personal capacity. Though I am the
> > President of PCDOM, PCDOM's membership (as Associate, NGO) is being
> > represented by PCDOM's Hon. Secretary. PCDOM's ownership of
> PrimaCare
> > and therefore its policies, rights and freedom to manage and sustain
> > PrimaCare is governed by its constitution and its contract with the
> > Malaysian Government who funded the development of PrimaCare solely
> for
> > the use of GPs in Malaysia. As an advocate of open source, I was
> > instrumental (not sole decision maker) in getting PCDOM to agree to
> > develop PrimaCare using an entire stack of open source software. I
> was
> > invited to present PrimaCare at OSHCA2002 at LA. That was the start
> of
> > my association with OSHCA. If one looks at any presentations of
> > PrimaCare anywhere and anytime, it was never mentioned that
> PrimaCare
> > was released under GPL. In fact PrimaCare was never released except
> to
> > GPs in Malaysia. My past verbal statements had always been that the
> > principles underlying the GPL can be applied to the manner we
> currently
> > distribute PrimaCare to GPs. However, PCDOM has its legal commitment
> to
> > the Malaysian Government, its community being the GPs in Malaysia
> and no
> > one else. However, PCDOM is interested in making PrimaCare available
> to
> > organisations outside Malaysia under an appropriate open source
> license
> > (with Malaysian Govt approval).
> 
> Thank you for that clarification, Dr Cheah. I only wish you had
> deigned
> to respond several weeks ago, when these issues were first raised,
> rather than treat us all with what I can only regard as a truculent
> silence.
> 
> Anyway, at least we are all now absolutely clear that PCDOM PrimaCare
> is
> not an open source application: it is not freely available under an
> open
> source license. Phew, that was like getting blood out of a stone, but
> mission accomplished!
> 
> >> *Article 4 - Aims and Objectives*
> >>
> >> OSHCA is a non-profit organisation that provides the collaborative
> >> platform and forum to promote and facilitate Free/Open Source
> Software
> >> in Health Care. OSHCA's membership comprises a community of people,
> >> civil societies and professional bodies in health care and
> informatics
> >> industries that promotes the Free/Open Source Software Concepts in
> >> Health Care. OSHCA helps policy makers, commercial enterprises, and
> >> users take advantage of the benefits of Free/Open Source Software.
> >>
> >> *4.1 - Vision:*
> >>
> >> Free/Open Source Health Care Software will provide a viable and
> >> sustainable alternative in mainstream Information and Communication
> >> Technologies (ICT) for positive impact in health outcomes as
> adjunct
> >> to building a global knowledge society.
> >>
> >> *4.2 - **Mission:*
> >>
> >> *4.2.1 - *Promote to policy makers the concept of Free/Open Source
> >> Software in Health Care so as to adopt or give equal opportunity to
> >> Free/Open Source Solutions.
> >>
> >> *4.2.2 - *Provide leadership role in refining the Free/Open Source
> >> Software Concepts as applied to health care to ensure best
> practices
> >> and patient safety are not compromised.
> >>
> >> *4.2.3 - *Make recommendations on the development and use of Health
> >> Information Standards for data interchange and representation
> formalisms.
> >>
> >> *4.2.4 - *Provide Guidelines for Quality Control on Free/Open
> Source
> >> Health Care Software development.
> >>
> >> *4.2.5 - *Participate in and support Human Capacity Building,
> >> including contributing/participating in project proposals and
> project
> >> management to achieve developing country priorities.
> >>
> >> *4.2.6 - *Enable collaboration of members including, sharing
> technical
> >> knowledge in Free/Open Source Health Care Projects and providing
> >> Information Resources to Free/Open Source Health Care software
> >> developers.
> >>
> >> *4.2.7 - *Promote and help the formation of development consortia
> for
> >> health care related projects, including assisting in finding
> funding
> >> for projects to reach critical mass for a visible and lasting
> impact
> >> on health related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
> >>
> >> *4.2.8 - *Use collaboration with strategic organisations with
> >> compatible goals as a means of achieving the mission.
> >>
> >>
> >> 4.3 - Principles
> >>
> >> *4.3.1 - Promote a globally sustainable approach to building **ICT
> >> solutions for health care*
> >> Free/Open Source Software development encourages global
> collaboration.
> >> OSHCA will encourage approaches that seek active participation in
> >> Free/Open Source Software development in health care by users,
> >> developers, and policy makers from all parts of the world.
> >>
> >>
> >> *4.3.2 - Stay lightweight and flexible*
> >>
> >> *In the spirit of Free/Open Source where development is user and
> needs
> >> driven, facilitation needs to support highly desirable dynamism,
> >> adaptability, and flexibility. This approach seeks to facilitate
> >> natural processes that produce better quality, usability,
> longevity,
> >> maintainability and cost effectiveness.*
> >>
> >>
> >> *4.3.3 - Be open to diverse opinions and technologies*
> >>
> >> *OSHCA is inclusive of all health care-related Free/Open Source
> >> activities. In a Free/Open Source world, the success of an idea,
> >> standard, or product is measured by its practical use.*
> >>
> >>
> >> *4.3.4 - Ethical Deployment & Maintaining Standards*
> >>
> >> OSHCA's focus is the legal and ethical deployment of reliable and
> >> robust Free/Open Source systems in all areas of health care. This
> >> means taking a leadership role to ensure standards are maintained,
> and
> >> working with legislative and standards bodies to encourage the
> >> inclusion of Free/Open Source principles in their policies.
> 
> Reading through those aims and objectives, I now very clearly perceive
> a
> mix of goals, specifically the difference between phrases such as
> these:
> 
> a) "...promote and facilitate Free/Open Source Software in Health
> Care"
> b) "...promotes the Free/Open Source Software Concepts in Health
> Care."
> c) "OSHCA helps policy makers, commercial enterprises, and users take
> advantage of the benefits of Free/Open Source Software."
> 
> and these:
> 
> d) "Free/Open Source Health Care Software"
> e) "...Free/Open Source Health Care Software development"
> f) "Free/Open Source Software development in health care by users,
> developers, and policy makers from all parts of the world."
> 
> I think there is room for, and a need for, an organisation which
> concentrates on the strategic goal of promoting the development and
> release of open source health care software, rather than on the more
> limited tactical goal of promoting the use of open source software in
> health care settings.
> 
> Or can both these goals be accommodated within OSHCA?
> 
> Tim Churches
> 
> 
> 
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Timothy Cook, MSc
Health Informatics Research & Development Services
LinkedIn Profile:http://www.linkedin.com/in/timothywaynecook