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Gerald P. Douglas, PhD
- Adjunct Assistant Professor of Biomedical Informatics
- Director, Center for Health Informatics for the Underserved
- Biomedical Informatics Training Program Core Faculty
Department of Biomedical Informatics (DBMI) | University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Biography
Dr. Gerald P. Douglas is an Adjunct Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Informatics at the University of Pittsburgh and Director of the Center for Health Informatics for the Underserved. His career has focused on designing and deploying health information systems in low-resource settings — most prominently through his development of touchscreen electronic medical record systems for clinical care in sub-Saharan Africa, particularly Malawi. These systems have been used to support national-scale antiretroviral therapy programs and chronic disease management. More recently, Dr. Douglas has expanded his work into biomedical engineering, including the regeneration of medical oxygen production technologies for low- and middle-income country (LMIC) settings.
Research Interests
Dr. Douglas’s research focuses on the design, deployment, and evaluation of health information systems in under-resourced settings, with a particular emphasis on sub-Saharan Africa. He pioneered the use of low-power touchscreen workstations to support clinical decision-making by minimally trained health workers in Malawi, enabling national-scale antiretroviral therapy monitoring and management. His current work addresses medical oxygen security in LMICs through zeolite regeneration technologies and continues to advance human-centered informatics approaches for sustainable, locally-owned health IT solutions.
Specialties
- Global Health Informatics
- Electronic Medical Records in Low-Resource Settings
- Point-of-Care Health Information Systems
- Biomedical Engineering for LMICs
- Clinical Audit and Feedback Systems
Education & Training
- B.S., Computer Science (with Honors)University of Victoria, Victoria, Canada1991–1995
- M.S., Information Science / Medical InformaticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Information Sciences, Pittsburgh, PA1998–1999
- Ph.D., Biomedical InformaticsUniversity of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA2002–2009
Awards & Distinctions
- Best Paper AwardHealth Informatics in Africa Conference, Johannesburg, South Africa2003
- Technology, Entertainment & Design (TED) FellowTED2009
- Faculty of Engineering Distinguished Alumnus AwardUniversity of Victoria2011
- Graduated with Honors, Computer ScienceUniversity of Victoria1995
Representative Publications
Douglas GP, Gadabu OJ, Joukes S, et al. Using touchscreen electronic medical record systems to support and monitor national scale-up of antiretroviral therapy in Malawi. PLoS Med. 2010;7(8).
Landis-Lewis Z, Brehaut JC, Hochheiser H, Douglas GP, Jacobson RS. Computer-supported feedback message tailoring: theory-informed adaptation of clinical audit and feedback for learning and behavior change. Implement Sci. 2015;10(1):12.
Fisher AM, Mtonga TM, Espino JU, et al. User-centered design and usability testing of RxMAGIC: a prescription management and general inventory control system for free clinic dispensaries. BMC Health Serv Res. 2018;18(1):703.
Alooh M, Douglas GP, et al. Investing in local capacity and grass-roots innovation to address gaps in medical oxygen security. Lancet Glob Health. Accepted 2024.
Fraser HS, Allen C, Bailey C, Douglas G, Shin S, Blaya J. Information systems for patient follow-up and chronic management of HIV and tuberculosis: a life-saving technology in resource-poor areas. J Med Internet Res. 2007;9(4):e29.
Research Grants
| Grant / Funding Agency | Role | Grant Number | Years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Coaching and Training Support for Ministry of Health Staff in Ethiopia on Applied Global Health Informatics Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation | PI | OPP1183915 | 10/2017–12/2022 |
| Bloomberg Philanthropies Data for Health Project Vital Strategies | PI | TB Union | 11/2019–10/2021 |
| Improving the Delivery & Management of HIV/AIDS Care in Malawi Through Appropriate Medical Informatics CDC | Co-I | 1U2GPS000740 | 09/2007–09/2012 |