‘‘Talkin’ About a Revolution’’: How Electronic HealthRecords Can Facilitate the Scale-Up of HIV Care andTreatment and Catalyze Primary Care inResource-Constrained Settings

Abstract

Health care for patients with HIV infection in developingcountries has increased substantially in response to major in-ternational funding. Scaling up treatment programs requires timelydata on the type, quantity, and quality of care being provided.Increasingly, such programs are turning to electronic health records(EHRs) to provide these data. We describe how a medical school inthe United States and another in Kenya collaborated to develop andimplement an EHR in a large HIV/AIDS care program in westernKenya. These data were used to manage patients, providers, and theprogram itself as it grew to encompass 18 sites serving more than90,000 patients. Lessons learned have been applicable beyondHIV/AIDS to include primary care, chronic disease management, andcommunity-based health screening and disease prevention programs.EHRs will be key to providing the highest possible quality of care forthe funds developing countries can commit to health care. Public,private, and academic partnerships can facilitate the development andimplementation of EHRs in resource-constrained settings.