The Open Medicine Project
The Open Medicine Project Consists a group of passionate Health-Care Workers, Mobile Technology Designers and Developers working together on projects to tackle specific health system problems, with the aim of co-creating innovative applications which improve patient care. The development process is one of “open innovation”. We actively seek engagement with other experts in healthcare and technology to create high impact solutions that change the system. Participatory Design sessions are undertaken with health workers to map out information needs, and partnerships are formed between academic bodies to channel to collate and disseminate critical information and create support tools.
A Roadmap for Change
Effectively managing patients in the health systems of the developing world requires the knowledge and a roadmap of the way health systems work at a ground level.
To be able to access specialist services, refer patients appropriately and find sources of support is a logistical healthcare challenge for any general practitioner, nurse, medical officer or paramedic. Know-how to do things in a system capacitates the health workers to give the best care to their patients. Through the Open Medicine Project, we focus on getting this kind of information out to where it’s needed the most.
We Believe in Open Access
Through the Open Medicine Project, important medical information is made freely and easily accessible to doctors, nurses, paramedics and all other health workers at the point of care. We also welcome linkages with other IT systems to share vital content through websites and apps, using open-source API’s (Application Programming Interfaces). If you’d like to get involved as a developer or a designer, visit our resources section for more information.
The Open Medicine Project Team
Dr Yaseen Khan
Co-founder &s; DirectorYaseen holds an MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) from the University of Stellenbosch. Since qualifying he has been pushing the boundaries envisioning a revolutionary approach to the practice of medicine.
Dr Mohammed Dalwai
Co-founder &s; DirectorMohammed holds an MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) from University of Stellenbosch. He is passionate about the impact of medicine within the rural context having completed his Community Service at Manguzi – a rural community – in the Maputaland region of the KwaZulu-Natal province.
Gerco Brandwijk
Android / iOS DeveloperGerco holds a Bachelor in Information Technology from The Hague University in Delft (The Netherlands). He is passionate about designing software that improves lives. His keen design eye informs applications that are both beautiful and user friendly.
Wisahl Jappie
Communications LiaisonWisahl holds a Bachelor of Arts with a triple major in Media and Writing, English and Political Science, as well as an Honours and Master of Arts in Political Communication, from the University of Cape Town.
Dr Kat Evans
EM Guidance, Project LeadKat holds an MBChB (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. She is a Senior Emergency Medicine Registrar and is involved with the Joint Division of Emergency Medicine (UCT/SUN).