Taha Kass-Hout, MD, MS Nicolás di Tada October 2008 Using Open-Source Software for Public Health

OPEN SOURCE AND FREE SOFTWARE “ Open Source” was coined to avoid the confusion with economic context Emphasis is on freedom to use, modify and distribute the source code Open Source does not mean free “ Free” refers to no cost and the freedom to use the software There are several license models

“ Open Source” was coined to avoid the confusion with economic context

Emphasis is on freedom to use, modify and distribute the source code

Open Source does not mean free

“ Free” refers to no cost and the freedom to use the software

There are several license models

LICENSE MODELS

BUSINESS MODEL Where does a commercial company fit here? Build and tie together several open source packages Provide tested open source solutions and customer support

Where does a commercial company fit here?

Build and tie together several open source packages

Provide tested open source solutions and customer support

OPEN SOURCE BENEFITS

OPEN SOURCE CHALLENGES May lack a complete documentation No risk but reputation in releasing a product that is not production ready No support contract and the creator has no obligation to provide any support The project might get abandoned

May lack a complete documentation

No risk but reputation in releasing a product that is not production ready

No support contract and the creator has no obligation to provide any support

The project might get abandoned

WHAT TO LOOK FOR? Commercial companies giving implementations, consulting and support Community activity Project history and reputation Success stories Documentation

Commercial companies giving implementations, consulting and support

Community activity

Project history and reputation

Success stories

Documentation

OPEN SOURCE SAMPLE APPLICATIONS IN PUBLIC HEALTH

BIOCASTER A collaborative research project Infectious diseases and chemicals detection and tracking Feature extraction Open source and multi-lingual taxonomy (version 2.0 released) KML files available for use in Google Earth New links to GoPubMed http://biocaster.nii.ac.jp

A collaborative research project

Infectious diseases and chemicals detection and tracking

Feature extraction

Open source and multi-lingual taxonomy (version 2.0 released)

KML files available for use in Google Earth

New links to GoPubMed

TRANSTAT Test for the presence of human-to-human transmission (or animal-to-animal in veterinary settings) Estimate epidemiologic characteristics of the disease https://www.epimodels.org/midas/transtat.do

Test for the presence of human-to-human transmission (or animal-to-animal in veterinary settings)

Estimate epidemiologic characteristics of the disease

MIRTH: HL7 INTERFACE Platform neutral Evolving GUI interface Bidirectional messaging Remote configuration Mirth hardware solutions (Pico, Appliances) Uses open source a light-weight messaging framework (Mule) http://www.mirth.org

Platform neutral

Evolving GUI interface

Bidirectional messaging

Remote configuration

Mirth hardware solutions (Pico, Appliances)

Uses open source a light-weight messaging framework (Mule)

INSTEDD: RIFF AND RNA Riff: Collaboration platform RNA: Human collaboration and machine learning for early disease detection and prediction http://riff.instedd.org

Riff: Collaboration platform

RNA: Human collaboration and machine learning for early disease detection and prediction

WEKA A collection of machine learning algorithms for data mining in Java Tools for data pre-processing, classification, regression, clustering, association rules, and visualization http://www.cs.waikato.ac.nz/~ml/weka

A collection of machine learning algorithms for data mining in Java

Tools for data pre-processing, classification, regression, clustering, association rules, and visualization

PENTAHO Reporting, analysis, dashboard, data mining and workflow. http://www.pentaho.com

Reporting, analysis, dashboard, data mining and workflow.

CABIG™: NATIONAL CANCER INSTITUTE BIOMEDICAL INFORMATICS GRID A model for large scale collaborative development All new projects must be open access and open source Compatibility Guidelines (Legacy, Bronze, Silver and Gold) assure that applications meet minimum interoperability requirements. Shared data standards repository, sharing and reusing of object classes for applications across the grid. Large suite of applications in development https://cabig.nci.nih.gov

A model for large scale collaborative development

All new projects must be open access and open source

Compatibility Guidelines (Legacy, Bronze, Silver and Gold) assure that applications meet minimum interoperability requirements.

Shared data standards repository, sharing and reusing of object classes for applications across the grid. Large suite of applications in development

SAHANA DISASTER MANAGEMENT Sahana = “relief” in Sinhalese Person registry GIS Mapping Event communications Some support provided by Google’s open source initiative http://cvs.opensource.lk/index.php

Sahana = “relief” in Sinhalese

Person registry

GIS Mapping

Event communications

Some support provided by Google’s open source initiative

Q&A

THANK YOU! Taha Kass-Hout, MD, MS http://www.instedd.org [email_address] http://taha.instedd.org Nicolás di Tada http://www.manas.com.ar [email_address] http://weblogs.manas.com.ar/ndt/

Taha Kass-Hout, MD, MS

http://www.instedd.org

[email_address]

http://taha.instedd.org

Nicolás di Tada

http://www.manas.com.ar

[email_address]

http://weblogs.manas.com.ar/ndt/

REFERENCES Open Source License References http://www.opensource.org/licenses http://openacs.org/about/licensing/open-source-licensing Open Source References http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/open-source-life-how-the-open-movement-will-change-everything.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source http://www.opensource.org/ Open Source and Public Health References Open Source Development for Public Health: A Primer with Examples of Existing Enterprise Ready Open Source Applications in Turner (2006) http://www.ibiblio.org/pjones/wiki/index.php/Open_Source_Software_for_Public_Health http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_healthcare_software http://www.epha.org/a/320 A Quick Survey of Open Source Software for Public Health Organizations in Mirabito and Kass-Hout (2007)

Open Source License References

http://www.opensource.org/licenses

http://openacs.org/about/licensing/open-source-licensing

Open Source References

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/technology/open-source-life-how-the-open-movement-will-change-everything.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source

http://www.opensource.org/

Open Source and Public Health References

Open Source Development for Public Health: A Primer with Examples of Existing Enterprise Ready Open Source Applications in Turner (2006)

http://www.ibiblio.org/pjones/wiki/index.php/Open_Source_Software_for_Public_Health

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_open_source_healthcare_software

http://www.epha.org/a/320

A Quick Survey of Open Source Software for Public Health Organizations in Mirabito and Kass-Hout (2007)