This is a collection of the most frequently asked questions regarding the openIMIS software as well as the global initiative. (click here for more FAQ entries and other knowledge base articles)
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FAQ - Is my data safe? —
Yes. We take care to ensure that the openIMIS software is free of security-related issues and that all required measures to ensure the safety of data are in place. However, there is an added layer of security that you are responsible for during implementation. As you implement openIMIS, you will need to install and host the software on either a virtual or physical server. You should ensure that the server you choose to host openIMIS on has the required security measures in place.
In terms of access to data, the openIMIS Initiative will never have access to any data from your implementation of openIMIS.
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FAQ - What are the additional costs to consider when using openIMIS? —
Some examples of additional costs to consider when using openIMIS are given below. The extent of these additional costs will very much depend on the size and scale of the implementation. Examples of cost drivers are:
Customization costs
Server hosting costs
Costs for computer hardware
Internet connection
User training
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FAQ - Who can use the software? —
Anyone can download and use openIMIS for free. Whether you are the operator of a health insurance or cash transfer scheme, a university offering courses in health financing, or a company specializing in the implementation of digital health and social protection programs - you are free to make use of openIMIS and to adapt it to your needs.
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FAQ - Does openIMIS support other database management systems than PostgreSQL? —
With the migration done by BlueSquare the foundation was created to do this kind of DB switch with relative ease. The reason behind this is that SQL is a standard language for querying databases. SQL is supported by all major database management systems, although there are slight differences in how they implemented this standard - the dialects. So in reality we never migrated away from SQL, we just migrated the legacy version of openIMIS from a very specific Microsoft SQL dialect to a more standard way of using SQL, which can in theory work on different DBMS products. Because of the programming library that BlueSquare used to implement the database access form openIMIS, it is relatively easy to just install a specific DB driver and then have openIMIS use the new dialect.
However, there are still differences in what the different DBMS can do. Depending on the driver, it might allow for 90% of compatibility with not all functionalities covered. Even these 90% will only make sure that data is read - when it comes to performance optimisation on high data volumes there is always a certain amount of DBMS specific configuration needed. For this reason the openIMIS Initiative can only support one reference DB system, which is PostgreSQL. We also try to maintain backward combability with MS SQL Server, but there will be most likely be gaps coming up in future versions. For everything else we cannot provide that support as we would have to test a variety of different DBMS with every new version of openIMIS.
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FAQ - How much does it cost to implement openIMIS —
First things first: as an open source software, openIMIS is completely free of charge. You can simply download and use it. There are no license costs attached to it, no matter what the use case is. However, costs will arise for the implementation of openIMIS in your organization. These depend on a variety of factors, including the specifics of your organization and use case.
Read more here to estimate your specific implementation costs
Read more here to estimate additional implementation costs
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FAQ - How can the software be used? —
openIMIS was originally developed to facilitate the administration of social health insurance schemes for people in the informal sector in low- and lower-middle income countries. It has subsequently been modified for use in administering health insurance schemes focused on the formal sector, employment injury insurance schemes, cash transfers and voucher schemes. However, the use of the software is not limited to these general use cases! Feel free to explore the software and try out new implementation scenarios.
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FAQ - What is openIMIS? —
openIMIS is an interoperable, versatile open source software which supports the administration of health financing and social protection schemes. It is designed to manage the complex, high-volume data flows which are required to operate such schemes by seamlessly integrating beneficiary, provider and payer data.
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FAQ - Can the software be re-sold? —
Yes. You can package and re-distribute the software according to the license agreement.
GNU Affero General Public License (AGPL-3) explicitly allows to convey verbatim copies of the software commercially:
You may charge any price or no price for each copy that you convey, and you may offer support or warranty protection for a fee. (AGPL-3, §5)
However, you should be aware of the other statements in the license agreement, especially when distributing modified source versions. AGPL-3 has an in-built copy-left clause. This means that you need to distribute your version under the same license. Also, you are expected to feed back modifications of your distribution to the openIMIS project, even if you offer openIMIS as a Software as a Service (SaaS) using your own server.
Of course we would appreciate being in touch with you when you plan to redistribute the software. This will be of benefit to you and the openIMIS community.
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FAQ - Is openIMIS free? —
The openIMIS software, including the source code, is free. It can be freely downloaded without restrictions. When implementing openIMIS, you will incur costs for deploying the software (e.g. server costs) and for required hardware (e.g. at health facilities and the scheme operator). In addition, there will be costs for implementation and roll-out of the software (e.g. user training) and regular maintenance of the installation.
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FAQ - Where is my data collected? —
As you implement openIMIS, you will need to install and host the software on either a virtual or physical server. This server(s) is where your data will be stored. You have full control over who has access to the data.
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FAQ - When was openIMIS created? —
With support from the Swiss Agency for Development Cooperation (SDC) in 2012, the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (Swiss TPH), Microinsurance Academy and Exact Software developed an Insurance Management Information System (IMIS) to operate community health funds (CHF) in several districts of Tanzania.
In 2014, a mutual health insurance scheme in Cameroon adapted the software for their business processes. Since 2015, the German Development Cooperation (GDC) has been providing assistance to customize IMIS for Nepal’s national health insurance scheme. The software has grown organically and has demonstrated potential for easy adaptation to different types of health financing mechanisms needed for UHC.
In 2016, GDC and SDC invested jointly to make IMIS an open-source software. The openIMIS source code has been publicly available since 2018.
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FAQ - Does openIMIS support use of Biometrics? —
Currently no openIMIS implementation applies the use of Biometric identification cards. The current identification of an individual is done using photos which are stored on the central server (or in form of an offline extract) and can be retrieved through querying by authorized personnel using an individuals unique ID number or corresponding bar code on an individuals card. See more information on current ID mechanism applied through openIMIS here: Identification card
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FAQ - What standards does openIMIS follow? —
In terms of interoperability with other systems openIMIS follows the HL7FHIR R4 standard. See more here information on the mapping openIMIS FHIR R4 Overview Page
Diagnosis coding in the system is uploaded at the time of configuration of the system. So depending on what standards are applied in a country the scheme operator can upload a diagnosis list of their choice eg. in Tanzania a smaller version of ICD 9 was initially applied which later was shifted to ICD 10. See more information on upload of diagnosis here WA6.1 Bulk uploads from Web Application user interface
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FAQ - How can openIMIS link to and help in transition from an existing system of a scheme operator? —
It is a reality that all scheme operators have some form of system to manage their operations and information generated within that. This can be either paper forms or digitized files like Excel files or more advanced IT solutions. Depending on how openIMIS is chosen to be used (stand alone system or partial use with existing solutions) in such situations there might be a need to either link openIMIS to existing technological solutions (need for interoperability) or a process and tools to allow transition (data migration) from older system to openIMIS. The latter can at times also mean shifting from paper records to openIMIS.
In situations where paper records are entered in openIMIS leading to a digitization of records for the first time, the data entry process can be cumbersome and requires time and resources. This should therefore already be accounted for during the planning stage. The scheme operator should see this investment of resources and time keeping in mind that some tasks are one time tasks which makes life in future simpler. For example the entry of families data that were enrolled in the past simplify the process and reduce the effort in future during renewals where this data does not have to be captured again if there are no changes and can simplifying even the older paper based renewal process. The investment is hence worth it and should be seen in this light.
In situations where simpler solutions like Excel files were used in the past there are some possibilities to update some bulk data in the system through files organized in specific format. See more information on such bulk uploads here: WA6.1 Bulk uploads from Web Application user interface
In situation where openIMIS needs to function along side an existing system, the first step is to establish a clear division of roles between the two solutions and thereafter accordingly the actual linking of the two softwares. On the openIMIS side a mapping has been undertaken of data captured in openIMIS to the FHIR standards to allow intergration with softwares through a standardized internationally accepted interoperability standard. Please find further information here: openIMIS FHIR R4 Overview Page