Why open source or free software important to health care?

There are a lot of reasons of why open source of free software is important to health care. And let us
tackle it. 1 it is Cost effective. As what I’ve researched about it that is often cost-effective because it
eliminates licensing fees. Healthcare institutions can redirect resources that would have been spent on
proprietary software licenses toward other critical areas. It can include things such as patient care and
infrastructure improvements. 2 It is flexible. 3 Transparency and Security: Transparency is crucial in
healthcare, especially concerning patient data privacy and security. Opensource software allows users to
inspect the source code for vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with industry standards and
regulations, thus enhancing data security and privacy. 4 Collaboration and Innovation: Opensource
fosters collaboration among developers, healthcare providers, and researchers worldwide. This
collaboration accelerates innovation by allowing stakeholders to share knowledge, best practices, and
resources, ultimately leading to the development of more effective healthcare solutions. 5 Long-term
Sustainability: Proprietary software can become obsolete if the vendor goes out of business or
discontinues support. Opensource software, on the other hand, offers long-term sustainability as the
code is accessible to anyone, reducing dependency on a single vendor and ensuring continued support
and development by the community. 6 Interoperability: Interoperability is essential for healthcare
systems to exchange information seamlessly. Open source software often adheres to open standards,
making it easier to integrate with other systems and share data across different platforms. This
interoperability enhances communication between healthcare providers, reduces duplication of efforts,
and improves patient outcomes.

Examples of open source or free software in healthcare:

OpenEMR: An open-source electronic health records and medical practice management solution used by
healthcare providers worldwide. It offers features such as appointment scheduling, billing, patient
demographics, and clinical documentation.
OpenMRS: A community-developed open-source electronic medical record system designed for
resource-constrained environments. It's widely used in low-resource settings to manage patient data,
track diseases, and streamline healthcare delivery.
GNU Health: A free, open-source health and hospital information system that covers various aspects of
healthcare, including electronic medical records, laboratory management, pharmacy management, and
genetics.
Bioconductor: An open-source software project for the analysis and comprehension of genomic data. It
provides tools for data preprocessing, visualization, statistical analysis, and interpretation, facilitating
research in genomics, proteomics, and other biological domains.
OpenSource Imaging Consortium (OSIC): A collaborative initiative aimed at developing open-source
tools and methodologies for medical imaging research. OSIC provides datasets, algorithms, and software
tools to support the development of advanced imaging techniques for diagnosing and treating various
medical conditions.