The OpenEMR Virtual Appliance

The Free OpenEMR Virtual Appliance

A Free OpenEMR Virtual Appliance, configured with FreeB billing, SQL-Ledger accounting, php-GACL access control, and SSL encryption, which can be run on any operating system that supports the Free VMware Player.This project is a sub-project of OpenEMR. The main OpenEMR project home page can be found at www.oemr.org .

What is this thing?

A comprehensive OpenSource Medical Practice Management Software Appliance, which provides office scheduling, electronic medical records, prescriptions, insurance billing, accounting, inventory, and access controls. This appliance should have many possible applications, such as a fully functional demo, a testing/developing platform, and as the starting point in real world clinic applications. It can be run on any operating system that supports the VMware Player. The detailed building instructions of this appliance are also included in the manual, which will allow easy modification/updates of appliance and will allow simple transition to a native server, if required.

OpenEMR is installed, along with FreeB, SQL-Ledger, and php-GACL. They are installed on the Mandriva2006 operating system. OpenEMR is the practice management software. FreeB is the insurance billing/printing software. SQL-Ledger is the accounting software. Php-GACL is the access control software.

What is the point?

The clinical benefits of computerized medical records are clear, however, the costs of current proprietary systems are large. This high cost precludes many small practices from transitioning to computerized medical records. Open Source medical record systems are quickly becoming a viable, cost effective alternative. Comprehensive open source medical practice management software suites, such as OpenEMR, consist of several independent software packages, which can make them more difficult to install/evaluate than their proprietary counterparts. This obstacle can easily be circumvented with a pre-installed Virtual Appliance, hence the point of the OpenEMR Virtual Appliance.