Introduction

The main purpose of this document is to bring together all pieces of information collected while researching existing OpenMRS solutions related to billing and claims. This research will be used to in future steps when we will start working on OpenMRS billing/claim module.

Billing Module (HISP India)

• more information can be found here: https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/Billing+Module

• NOT available on the OpenMRS repository: https://github.com/hispindia/his-billing

• Probably support only the version 1.8.0 of OpenMRS Platform

  • “I too went through some existing billing module which is now maintain by hspa india which will no longer compatible with OpenMRS” - https://talk.openmrs.org/t/having-strong-billing-module-and-incorporate-billing-capability/3382/3

• Required modules:

  • org.openmrs.module.hospitalcore

I had an issue with using this module on the OpenMRS 2.0.5 (some issue with liquibase migration). I’m not sure if the description from OpenMRS WIKI i up to date. I’m afraid this module focused only on orders aspects but if we won't find anything else this could be a good point to start.

The OpenHMIS cashier module

• more information can be found here: https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/OpenHMIS+Cashier+Module

• Requirements

  • https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/Backbone+Forms+Module

  • https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/OpenHMIS+Inventory+Module

  • a simple inventory management system that runs within OpenMRS

•  

  • Java 1.7

  • OpenMRS 1.9.9+

  • REST Web Services Module 2.1x

  • Jasper Reports Module 1.5.7

  • OpenHMIS Commons Module 3.x

  • OpenHMIS Backbone Forms Module 2.x

  • OpenHMIS Inventory Module 2.x

• Last release: 3.4.0 (02-Nov-2017)

• NOT available on the OpenMRS repository

• Billable Objects Module

  • https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/Billable+Objects+Module

  • The Billable Objects Module is an extension to the Cashier Module. The module adds the concept of billable objects, which are OpenMRS objects (such as Encounter or DrugOrder) that have associated costs that need to be billed to a patient.

• Event-Based Billing Module

  • https://wiki.openmrs.org/display/docs/Event-Based+Billing+Module

  • The Event-Based Billing Module is used in conjunction with the Billable Objects Module to offer rudimentary support for automatic bill creation in response to objects created in OpenMRS.

The module looks very promising.

The disadvantages:

•  

  •  

    • isn't placed on the official OpenMRS repository

    • many dependencies on external modules

    • I noticed some issue with generating bill but perhaps this was related to the wrong configuration

So far this is the best point to start.

Bahmni

• more information can be found here: https://bahmni.atlassian.net/wiki/spaces/BAH/pages/115777052/Billing+Pharmacy+App

• Using external already built billing systems (e.g. the billing feature in OpenERP)

•  

  • Probably OpenMRS integrated with https://www.odoo.com/

• “build a simple OpenMRS module for it” model works, but I think billing is an example where you can’t just build a simple “80%” module because people will need to handle all the tricky cases too, that we presume an existing billing system has already discovered. Angshuman once pointed out to me “would a simple OpenMRS billing module cover the case where the patient needs to pay in multiple installments? Probably not. You want a real billing system for this.”

• You need to have only the databases for sub-systems that you use. So, in this case two databases, for MRS and ERP (and not for lab that is). The overhead of this can be overestimated usually. In my experience it is the semantic overhead that matters lot more than technical overheads.

The billing / claiming aspects are integrated part of the Bahmni core. I'm not sure but probably not exist a simple way to use this logic in OpenMRS.

Useful resources:

• https://talk.openmrs.org/t/having-strong-billing-module-and-incorporate-billing-capability/3382