---
title: 'Collaborative Software Initiative launches TriSano, an open-source means of tracking disease'
date: '2008-09-18T13:36:54-07:00'
type: post
word_count: 481
char_count: 3305
tokens: 626
categories:
  - CSI
  - Disease
  - Health
  - Healthcare
  - OpenSource
  - Oregon
  - Portland
  - TriSano
tags:
  - CDC
  - 'Center for Disease Control'
  - 'collaborative software initiative'
  - 'infectious disease'
  - 'open source'
  - 'public health'
  - TriSano
---

# Collaborative Software Initiative launches TriSano, an open-source means of tracking disease

[![TriSano](https://i0.wp.com/siliconflorist.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/09/imgtrisano.gif?w=925)](http://www.trisano.org/ "TriSano")In the world of technology, we complain about having to deal with “viruses” and “infected systems” all of the time. And, as such, we have any number of tools at our disposal for tracking, managing, and eliminating these viruses.

But what about using technology to deal with the impact of disease in the real world?

Portland-based [Collaborative Software Initiative](http://www.csinitiative.com "Collaborative Software Initiative") may have the answer with its newest effort, [TriSano](http://www.trisano.org/ "TriSano").

TriSano is designed to help communities collect and share disease information within and among communities:

> To provide Public Health organizations freedom and choice when tasked with making an applications decision to support their communities. We offer the opportunity to scrap the monolithic development process and custom built solutions traditionally provided through system integrators and traditional software companies. Our suggestion: engage in the power of community building and open source technology to solve complex health technology challenges for the good of public health.

It’s like your own private [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)](http://www.cdc.gov/ "CDC"). And, [Utah already has plans to go live on TriSano](http://www.medgadget.com/archives/2008/09/trisano_an_open_source_infectious_disease_reporting_system_going_live_in_utah.html "Utah goes live on TriSano").

But Dana Blankenhorn sees [TriSano reaching much farther than that](http://healthcare.zdnet.com/?p=1349 "TriSano on ZDNet"):

> TriSano is written in [Ruby](http://www.ruby-lang.org/en/). Rather than building 75 forms, TriSano built a form-builder. The system can be maintained by doctors, regulators, or through TriSano in the form of Software as a Service.
> 
> What it means is a faster, flexible, less-expensive system for creating and maintaining infectious disease reports. Utah will train its people first, CSI will seek to roll it out nationwide, and everyone (including you) will reap the benefits.

For all the appreciation I have for cool Web 2.0 tools, they remain—quite often—a [frivolous applications of technologies that hold unlimited potential](http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10045321-2.html "O'Reilly: Stop throwing sheep"). And that’s why it’s especially exciting to see a local company tapping into that potential for the greater good of humanity.

Collaborative Software Initiative was founded in 2007 by Stuart Cohen, a veteran IT executive and former chief executive officer at the Open Source Development Labs. Cohen has partnered with Evan Bauer, financial services technology veteran and former chief technology officer at Credit Suisse, to bring together like-minded companies to build software applications at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. The company introduces a market-changing process that applies open source methodologies to building software collaboratively. For more information, visit [Collaborative Software Initiative](http://www.csinitiative.com "Collaborative Software Initiative").