360° MHMIS: Modular HMIS Software for Kenyan Hospitals

1. Executive Summary

In response to the critical data fragmentation and operational inefficiencies hindering healthcare in Kenya and Sub-Saharan Africa, the 360° MHMIS provides a unified, cloud-native HMIS solution. This system is engineered from the ground up on a service-oriented, modular, and API-first architecture. This strategic design enables unparalleled scalability for facilities of all sizes, seamless interoperability (e.g., with labs, insurance, and EHR systems), and deep customization to meet the unique needs of each healthcare provider. This white paper provides an overview of this technical architecture, detailing the core technology stack and the comprehensive modular framework that allows the 360° MHMIS to deliver a secure, reliable, and holistic 360-degree view of hospital operations and patient care.

2. The Challenge: Data Fragmentation in Kenya’s Healthcare Ecosystem

Healthcare facilities across the region face a persistent crisis of efficiency. In Kenya, a high rate of preventable mortality is directly linked to systemic failures, including a debilitating lack of accessible, real-time patient information. The prevailing reliance on manual, paper-based records and isolated, legacy software creates debilitating data silos. This fragmentation leads directly to:

• Operational Inefficiency: The reliance on paper records creates administrative bottlenecks, long patient wait times, and costly billing errors. A modern HMIS is required to solve this.
• Poor Resource Management: Without a centralized inventory system, hospitals suffer from costly stockouts of critical medicines or wastage from overstocking and expiry.
• Compromised Patient Care: Disconnected data silos (lab, pharmacy, billing) prevent clinicians from accessing a comprehensive Electronic Health Record (EHR) at the point of care, hindering informed decision-making.

A modern, unified, and scalable Hospital Management Information Software (HMIS) is not a luxury but a necessity to address these systemic failures and support the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC).

3. The Solution: The 360° MHMIS Unified Architecture

The 360° MHMIS is a cloud-based Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) platform designed to create a single, closed-loop digital environment. Its architecture is built on four key pillars:

1. Cloud-Native SaaS Delivery: By adopting a SaaS HMIS model, the system eliminates the need for costly on-premises server hardware and maintenance. This reduces the total cost of ownership and provides secure, reliable access to the system anytime, anywhere.
2. Service-Oriented & Modular Core: The system is not a single, rigid program. It is designed as a collection of discrete, service-oriented modules. This modularity is a core feature, allowing the platform to be highly customizable.
3. API-Driven Integration Layer: The architecture is built with a robust Application Programming Interface (API) layer. This facilitates seamless, secure data exchange between the MHMIS modules and third-party systems, such as external laboratories, insurance provider portals, and national digital health databases.
4. Robust & Proven Technology Stack: The system is built on a reliable, secure, and high-performance technology stack to ensure stability and scalability:
   • Backend: PHP 7.4+ with the Laravel Framework
   • Database: MySQL 5.6+
   • Frontend: jQuery & Ajax for a responsive user experience

4. Modular Design: A Deep Dive

The power of our HMIS lies in its comprehensive set of modules, which can be selectively enabled or disabled by an administrator to tailor the system to a facility’s specific needs. These modules are logically grouped into five key operational domains.

I. Core Clinical & Patient Management (EHR)

This domain forms the heart of the system, managing all patient-facing and clinical activities.

• IPD (In-Patient Department): Manages patient admissions, bed assignments, consultant registers, charges, and discharge.
• OPD (Out-Patient Department): Manages patient visits, timelines, and diagnoses for non-admitted patients.
• Doctors: A central module for managing doctor profiles, departments, and schedules.
• Prescription: Enables doctors to digitally write and manage patient prescriptions, including medicine details and dosage.
• Diagnosis: Allows doctors and technicians to add diagnosis details, attach reports, and manage categories.
• Reports: Generation of critical medical records, including Birth Reports, Death Reports, Operation Reports, and Investigation Reports.
• Cases Management: Tracks patient cases from registration to admission, forming a core part of the digital patient record.

II. Financial & Administrative

This domain manages the complete revenue cycle and administrative functions of the hospital.

• Billing: A comprehensive hospital billing software module for generating Invoices and Bills, managing Payments (cash, cheque), and tracking Advanced Payments.
• Accounts: Manages different account types (e.g., Credit, Debit) for financial tracking.
• Employee Payrolls: Manages salary generation and history for all staff types (Doctors, Nurses, Accountants, etc.).
• Hospital Charges: A centralized system to define and manage service charges, including Charge Categories, Charges, and OPD Charges.
• Front Office: Manages hospital logistics, including Call Logs, Visitor Tracking, Postal Receive, and Postal Dispatch.

III. Ancillary & Support Services

This domain manages the critical support departments that enable clinical care.

• Blood Bank: Manages the full lifecycle of blood services, including Blood Donors, Blood Bags (inventory), Blood Donations, and Blood Issues.
• Medicines: A complete pharmacy management solution, including Medicine Categories, Medicine Brands, and Medicine inventory.
• Radiology: Manages radiology testing, including Radiology Categories and Radiology Tests with charge integration.
• Pathology: Manages pathology testing, including Pathology Categories and Pathology Tests.
• Inventory Management: A general-purpose inventory system for non-medical items, including Item Categories, Items, Item Stock, and the Issue an Item function.
• Ambulance: Manages the ambulance fleet, including vehicle details and Ambulance Call logs.

IV. Patient Engagement & Telehealth

This domain provides modern, patient-centric services that extend care beyond the hospital walls.

• Book Appointment: A patient-facing portal for booking appointments with specific doctors, departments, and time slots.
• Live Consultations (Zoom): An integrated telemedicine software module for Admin/Doctors to create and host video consultations with patients.
• Live Meetings (Zoom): An internal-facing module for staff-to-staff video meetings.
• Patient Portal: Our patient portal software allows patients to view their appointments, medical history, timelines, and join live consultations.

V. System Administration & Configuration

This backbone module allows administrators to configure and manage the entire system.

• Admin Panel & Dashboard: Provides a high-level overview of invoices, payments, staff counts, and available beds.
• Users: Manages all system users and their roles (e.g., Accountants, Nurses, Patients, Receptionists, Pharmacists, Lab Technicians).
• Settings: Manages system-wide settings, including Notice Boards, Testimonials, and hospital details (name, address, hours).
• Multi-Currency: Supports 7 different currencies, configurable by the admin.
• Multi-Language: Supports 9 different languages, which can be set on a per-user basis.
• Module On/Off Support: A powerful feature allowing the admin to completely disable any module (e.g., Blood Bank) if it is not required by the facility, simplifying the UI for all users.

5. Core Benefits for Healthcare Facilities

The 360° MHMIS translates its advanced architecture into tangible, real-world benefits for hospital administrators, clinicians, and patients.

• Improved Patient Care & Safety: By providing a single, unified patient record (EHR), clinicians can make faster, more informed decisions. This reduces medical errors, eliminates duplicate testing, and ensures continuity of care between departments.
• Drastic Operational Efficiency: The system streamlines all core processes, from patient registration and queue management to billing and inventory. Automating hospital billing, pharmacy management, and appointment scheduling significantly reduces administrative overhead and patient wait times.
• Enhanced Financial Performance: Reduce costs by minimizing wastage with a real-time inventory module. Plug revenue leakage with an accurate, automated billing and charges system. Optimize staff resources with payroll and scheduling tools.
• Data-Driven Decision Making: The Admin Dashboard and reporting modules provide real-time analytics. Administrators can instantly see bed occupancy rates, revenue per department, and patient flow, allowing them to make strategic decisions based on data, not guesswork.

6. Key Architectural Advantages

This service-oriented, modular architecture provides specific technical benefits over traditional, monolithic systems:

• Scalability & Customization: Facilities can start with core modules (like OPD and Billing) and add more complex modules (like IPD or Radiology) as they grow. The “Module On/Off” feature is a direct implementation of this, ensuring a facility only sees and pays for what it needs.
• Reliability & Maintenance: When a specific module (e.g., Inventory) requires an update, it can be serviced independently without causing downtime for critical clinical modules like IPD or Prescriptions.
• Interoperability: The API-first design ensures the 360° MHMIS can act as the central “hub” for a hospital’s entire digital health ecosystem, connecting disparate systems into one unified platform.
• Cost-Effectiveness: The SaaS model eliminates upfront capital expenditure on hardware, and the modular design ensures facilities are not paying for unused features.

7. Conclusion: The Future of HMIS in Kenya

The architecture of the 360° MHMIS is not merely a technical choice; it is a strategic one, designed specifically for the dynamic needs of the African healthcare ecosystem. By providing a single, affordable, and scalable SaaS HMIS platform, we empower healthcare facilities to move beyond data fragmentation. This system enables an efficient, interconnected, and data-driven future, ultimately improving resource allocation, enhancing patient care, and supporting the goal of Universal Health Coverage (UHC) in Kenya.

About Doctors Explain Digital Health Co. LTD.

Our Mission: To democratize healthcare access across Africa by delivering affordable, culturally relevant, and technology-enabled health solutions that empower individuals, families, and communities to live healthier lives.

Our Vision: A healthier, more equitable Africa where every person—regardless of income, location, or language—can access trusted, high-quality healthcare through the power of innovation and human-centered design.

Learn More: Visit https://360mhmis.click/ to discover how our hospital management software can transform your facility.