Proposing A Knowledge Management System (KMS) Architecture for Traditional Medicine
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Date
2015-06-05
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Addis Ababa University
Abstract
Background: Traditional medicine knowledge is a medical knowledge developed by indigenous cultures that incorporates plant, animal and mineral-based medicines, and manual techniques designed to treat illness or maintain well being. The provisions of this service depend on managing its knowledge properly. Knowledge management is a process that deals with knowledge creation, storage, dissemination and application to improve the overall business performance. A knowledge management system (KMS) is the use of ICT platform that combines and integrates functions for the contextualized handling of both, explicit and tacit knowledge as part of knowledge management initiative. In Ethiopia, there exists gaps in managing traditional medicine knowledge and KMS has not been designed and implemented for traditional medicine practice.
Objectives: The objective of the project is to propose knowledge management system architecture to promote knowledge management in traditional medicine practice in Ethiopia.
Methods: Methodology for proposing knowledge management system architectures is used. A non- probabilistic purposive sampling technique is used to conduct key informant interview with experts working in the Ethiopian public health institute, Ethiopian biodiversity institutes, Addis Ababa University School of pharmacy, school of botany and school of anthropology. The data collected was analyzed to define requirements for designing KMS architecture for traditional medicine.
Findings: Through assessment of the existing knowledge management practices for traditional medicine, Gaps in knowledge management practices were identified. KMS architecture was proposed as an artifact for the identified problems. The proposed KMS architecture, which is a base for designing and implementing the knowledge management system, adopted three stages in the knowledge management cycle which are knowledge capturing, knowledge storage and knowledge sharing.
Conclusion and Recommendation: This study provides a guide for implementing a KMS in TM practice and leverage knowledge, which in turn helps the community and the whole country in terms of supporting the existing health system. Therefore, the recommendation of this project is that KMS for traditional medicine practice should be designed and implemented by the Ethiopian government (Ethiopian Public Health Institute) based on the proposed architecture.
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Knowledge Management System;Traditional Medicine