Subsequent to its development and implementation in two hospitals, DataPall was tested among both trained and untrained hospital staff populations on the basis of its usability with comparison to existing paper records

systems as well as on the speed at which users could perform basic database functions. Additionally, all participants evaluated this program on a standard system usability scale. Results In a study of health professionals in a Malawian hospital, DataPall enabled palliative care providers to find patients’ appointments, on average, in less than half the time required to locate the same record in current paper records. Moreover, participants generated customizable Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical reports documenting patient records and comprehensive reports on providers’ activities with little training necessary. Participants affirmed this

ease Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical of use on the system usability scale. Conclusions DataPall is a simple, effective electronic medical records system that can assist in developing an evidence base of clinical data for palliative care in low resource settings. The system is available at no cost, is specifically designed to chronicle care in Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical the region, and is catered to meet the technical needs and user specifications of such facilities. Keywords: Palliative care, Electronic medical records system, Evidence-based medicine, Africa, Database Background Palliative care is a rapidly emerging yet underrepresented field in sub-Saharan Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Africa. The need for these services has become more pronounced as a result of the HIV/AIDS epidemic, the entrenchment of tuberculosis, and the burgeoning cancer incidence and mortality. As of 2010, there were an estimated 22.9 million HIV-positive individuals in sub-Saharan Africa, representing over 67% of the global burden of the disease Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical [1]. As of 2008, approximately 650,000 Africans were diagnosed with cancer annually, with 530,000 of these cases occurring in sub-Saharan Selleckchem Ganetespib Africa [2]. Moreover, cancer rates in Africa are expected to increase 400%

by 2050 [3]. The epidemiological characteristics of this region underlie the tremendous need for comprehensive end-of-life care. The provision of palliative care in low-resource Florfenicol settings like sub-Saharan Africa adopts a different structure than for most other hospital-based medical care in the region. Home-based care has long been a central tenet of end-of-life care in these settings [4]. In home-based palliative care, family or community members oversee day-to-day administration of care; common symptoms which may last an extended period of time can usually be alleviated by simple treatment. However, the need for home-based care exceeds what is currently provided in most countries [5]. Thus, care is supplemented in hospital units or by hospital support teams, who care for patients in inpatient and outpatient settings [6,7]. Patients’ continuing needs for pain management and counseling mandate repeated interaction with medical professionals across these three distinct settings.