Technology Free clinic software

[fantasty]

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Our student-run free clinic is getting to the point that they really need some patient database software. Their paper files are getting out of hand. I know there were some free programs out there specifically for free clinics. I did get some products that were for general clinic management, but they were not really helpful (heavy focus on billing, procedures, which are not relevant to this general "wellness" clinic). I couldn't much help with google.

Any suggestions?

 

[deleted87716]

What is it that you're trying to accomplish?

Unless there's a great deal of provider continuity in this free clinic (which would be unusual), implementing any kind of EMR or "paperless" medical record is going to be a tremendous challenge, free software or not. If the paper charts are "out of hand," that should be a tremendous red flag that the clinic has problems aren't going to be fixed by automation...they'll likely be magnified.

If I were you, I'd work on standardizing and streamlining the paper charts using flow sheets and templates for office visits. Include preventive care flowsheets, diabetes flowsheets, etc. Make sure that there's an organized "front sheet" with a current problem list, PMH, PSH, SH, FH, allergies, etc. If you really want some sort of automation, you could make a patient registry for chronic problems, such as diabetes, using practically any database or spreadsheet program. However, keeping something like this updated and accurate will take some pretty serious commitment on somebody's part, which (again) I've found lacking in a typical student-run free clinic where there's lots of turnover.