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Collaboration on an Open Source Code App

This is the last blog post honoring the International Open Access Week. This post will focus on EHSL collaboration with The GApp Lab to create an open source app.

GapplogoBefore jumping into the actual app and collaboration efforts; you may be wondering, what is The GApp Lab?

The GApp Lab is an abbreviation for the Therapeutic Games and Apps Lab, a collaboration between Entertainment Arts and Engineering (EAE), the Center for Medical Innovation, and the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library (EHSL). Each semester, this lab is comprised of approximately twenty students from the EAE Master Games Studio program. The Lab is located on the Garden Level of the EHSL.

The GApp Lab plays an integral part in the research and development, production and execution of interactive, medically focused applications for instructors, students, medical professionals, and patients. By working closely with the world-class researchers at the U of U, the game developers can develop medical games and apps that are innovative, highly engaging, and clinically validated. The GApp Lab is led by Roger Altizer, EAE faculty and Director of Digital Medicine in the Center for Medical Innovation.

Open EHR App EHRis an open source code app, created by The GApp Lab.

Open EHR App is an electronic health record app with developing countries in mind. The app enables the patient to carry their medical record with them and have their health care professional easily add notes. Since the app’s source code is open, patients and others can edit the app to meet their needs. The app is for the Android platform.

EHSL’s Innovation Librarian, Tallie Casucci, assisted The GApp Lab team on this project. The team had three main research questions which Tallie helped them answer. With the resources Tallie provided, the team made adjustments to the design and features.

  1. As game developers, the students had not seen an electronic health record – both the front and back end. Tallie put the team in contact with the University of Utah Health Care’s electronic health record developers and found front end examples and pictures online of other EHRs.
  2. Additionally, the team was curious about privacy and data protection policies, concerns, and recommendations. Tallie provided the team with links to several international organization documents concerning privacy and data related to patients, personal data, healthcare technology, etc.
  3. The team’s final research question concerned the actual healthcare IT laws or recommendations in developing countries. Tallie investigated individual countries for healthcare IT departments, authorities, institutes, and laws.

Collaboration with The GApp Lab extends well beyond the Open EHR App! To view other completed projects, visit The GApp Lab collection on e-channel.

Tallie & Roger "Flash the U" during their DiGRA presentation.
Tallie & Roger “Flash the U” during their DiGRA presentation.