Designing Sustainable Open Source Systems: The Cuban National Health Care Network and Portal (INFOMED)

摘要

Integrating research, education and evidence-based medical practice requires complex network linkages among these critical activities. This study examines the Cuban National Health Care Network and Portal (INFOMED) in the context of the regional Virtual Health Library of the Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences , System (BIREME) led by Brazil. INFOMED is a virtual infrastructure for integration of scientific research with education and expert intervention in evidence-based medicine. Virtual infrastructures refer to an environment characterized by overlapping distribution networks accessible through Internet portals and websites designed to facilitate integrated use of available resources. The objective of this paper is to examine system design at the regional and national levels of analysis using theoretical perspectives from complexity theory, institutional economics and knowledge ecology. In conclusion model transferability to other national health care systems is considered.