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OpenMRS is a flexible, modular, multi-layered system, and one of its strengths is that its platform can be used in many different configurations. As a result, "OpenMRS" can mean many things.

What Is A Distribution?

A particular configuration of the OpenMRS Platform, OpenMRS modules, content (concepts, forms, reports, etc) and (optionally) other integrated applications, that can be installed and upgraded as a unit.

Why Use a Distribution?

There are two ways to start using OpenMRS, depending on your needs and available resources:

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A configuration of OpenMRS that is technically built like a Distribution, but is only intended for use by one specific consumer.  If you are not the specific target of this distribution, you wouldn't probably use it directly, but as a developer or implementer you may learn a lot from studying or forking it.  However, there may be opportunities to collaborate with the teams working on these distributions if you wanted to create a replica of their clinical and technical environments. 

List of OpenMRS Distributions

General Purpose and Targeted Distributions

	Distribution	Type	Description
	OpenMRS Reference Application	General Purpose	Maintained by the OpenMRS community, this distribution demonstrates how the platform's capabilities can be used to build an EMR. You could use this out-of-the-box as a facility EMR, but it (currently) doesn't have the complete EMR feature set. Learn more...
	Bahmni	General Purpose - Hospitals and Large Clinics	Maintained by ThoughtWorks and the Bahmni communityCoalition, Bahmni is an out-of-the-box EMR and Hospital Information System that can be configured without programming. It integrates OpenMRS with Odoo and OpenELIS to provide out of the box and ready to deploy, inetgrated solution that covers hospital workflows Learn more...
Image Added	eSaude	Targeted - Mozambique	Developed by the Mozambique regional OpenMRS community, eSaude. A tailored distribution of OpenMRS to provide point of care clinical patient registration and healthcare workflows on tablets for the MOH public health facilities. Learn more...
	Kenya EMR	Targeted - Kenya	Developed by I-TECH, KenyaEMR is a tailored distribution of OpenMRS which meets the requirements laid out in the Kenya Ministry of Health document: 2011 Kenya EMR Standards and Guidelines. Learn more...
Image RemovedImage Added	eSaudeUgandaEMR	Targeted - MozambiqueDeveloped by the Mozambique regional OpenMRS community, eSaude. A tailored distribution of OpenMRS to provide point of care clinical patient registration and healthcare workflows on tablets for the MOH public health facilities. Uganda	UgandaEMR is the custom implementation of OpenMRS in Uganda which is mandated by the Ministry of Health. Learn more...

Other Distributions

• CHITS is a targeted distribution for Philippine primary care centers, based on the older OpenMRS 1.8 platform
• PIH-EMR is an implementation-specific distro deployed by Partner In Health
• UP Health Service (UPHS) is an implementation-specific fork of CHITS

Planned Distribitions

• OpenMRS Nigeria is a series of OpenMRS versions mirroring the Federal Ministry of Health tools for HIV/AIDS and MDR-TB programs as well as certified data collection tools.  They are in process of packaging this as a distribution with developers in Nigeria.  Distribution Publication Date TBD.  Learn more....
• OpenSRP is a product that provides "register-like" views for a cohort of individuals through both mobile and web-based views.  It is enjoying broad uptake due to it's focus on user experience.  This product is developed on top of the OpenMRS platform.

FAQ

Can I add my distribution to this page?

To be added to this page, at a minimum your distribution must:

1. be based on a currently-supported version of the OpenMRS Platform (e.g.
2. works leveraging the platform APIs, not just sharing the data model)
3. include instructions to install and upgrade it as a unit
4. be actively supported.
   • At a minimum, one person available via some electronic format (email, skype, IRC, etc) and with the contact listed on the Distributions wiki page.
5. have an open-source license and publicly-hosted code

If these criteria are met, and you want to share your work with others, please post to this Talk category and tag your post with "distributions", edit this wiki page directly, or reach out to Unknown User (darius) and Unknown User (janflowers).

What type is my

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Distribution?

Not sure how to categorize your Distribution?  Here's some examples:

• Do you intend for health facilities anywhere in the world to use your system

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• without drastic customization? This is probably a General Purpose Distribution.
• Targeted at a specific geographic region, e.g. KenyaEMR or Mozambique's eSaude? This is a Targeted Distribution.
• Targeted at a specific disease, e.g. Ebola or MDR-TB? This is a Targeted Distribution.
• Is your distro built for one specific customer, and would need extensive modification or forking to be used by someone else, e.g. PIH-EMR? This is an Implementation Specific Distribution.
• Do you have a collection of OpenMRS modules and configuration, but no automated installer? This is not actually a distribution.
• Want advice on how to package things as a distribution? Post to the developers Talk category and ask!

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Why become an official Distribution?

If you have built a Distribution of OpenMRS that meets the criteria above, we'd love to include it on our official list of distributions, on this page. We want the OpenMRS community to have access to many options, and be able to find the best one for their use case. We hope that you'd like to list your distribution here.

Benefits include:

• Implementers will be more likely to install it
• Developers will be more likely to look at your code and harvest portions into the core platform, lessening the amount of code you have to maintain yourself
• Participating in the OpenMRS community will make your Distribution more recognizable and you'll end up with better access to knowledge and contacts

Established distributions can take advantage of OpenMRS infrastructure:

• hosting forums as a category on OpenMRS Talk
• leveraging our translation community on Transifex

Having trouble contacting a distribution?

Are you an implementer or user who is having trouble accessing a Distribution's support or code that is listed on this wiki page? Post your questions on OpenMRS Talk on in the #software category.