GaiaEHR is a free, open-source, web-based electronic health record and practice management system for medical practices: patient charts, encounters, prescriptions, orders and billing documents in a browser interface built on Ext JS, running on your own Apache, PHP and MySQL server. It began in 2009 as MitosEHR, a fork of OpenEMR. If you found this page by searching for a GaiaEHR download with a dental module in mind, read the next paragraph first.
There is no GaiaEHR Dental Module. The only dental element in the code is a patient “Dental” history list: each entry stores a CDT procedure code, a description, start and end dates, occurrence, who referred the patient, the outcome and an alert flag. There is no odontogram, tooth chart, periodontal chart or dental treatment plan. The project is also dormant: the last packaged release is 0.0.7.1 Beta from April 2014, and the last commit to the main GitHub repository was in June 2016. A fork named mdTimeline, which describes itself as “formerly known as GaiaEHR”, received commits until March 2024 but publishes no stable releases.
GaiaEHR at a glance
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Latest version | 0.0.7.1 Beta (3 April 2014); last commit June 2016 |
| Licence | Free and open source, GPL v3 (GitHub); SourceForge lists LGPL v3 |
| Platforms | Self-hosted web application on Apache, PHP and MySQL; tested by the project on Linux (LAMP), macOS and Windows (WAMP); used in a web browser |
| Developer | GaiaEHR open-source project (originally MitosEHR) |
| Official website | github.com/gaiaehr/gaiaehr (the former gaiaehr.org site no longer responds) |
| Best for | Developers studying an Ext JS-based EHR, or building on its code; not for running a dental practice |
What it does
- Patient registration, demographics, insurance form and a patient summary panel.
- Encounters with progress notes, vitals, doctors’ notes and a visit checkout step.
- Clinical lists: active problems, allergies, medications, immunizations, family and social history, smoking status, advance directives.
- Prescription (Rx), laboratory and radiology orders, with results views.
- Referrals, reminders and decision-support warnings.
- Document management with scanner support and a signature component.
- Superbill and fee screens, messaging, and CCD export of patient summaries.
- A dental history list per patient with CDT codes, dates, outcome and alerts.
How dental teams use it
Realistically, GaiaEHR is not a tool for a working dental office today. The workflows below are what the code supports.
Record a patient’s past dental procedures in a medical chart
- Open the patient in GaiaEHR.
- Add an entry to the dental history list with the CDT code and description of the procedure.
- Fill in the begin and end dates, who referred the patient and the outcome.
- Tick the alert field if the item should be flagged, for example a recent extraction before planned surgery.
Refer a medical patient to a dentist
- Create a referral from the patient’s record.
- Attach relevant documents, such as a medication list or scanned letters.
- Record the dental outcome in the dental history list when the report comes back.
Use the code as a starting point
- Clone the GPL v3 source from GitHub.
- Study the patient model and views to see how an Ext JS EHR is organised.
- Any dental charting would have to be written from scratch.
Install and first run
- What you need: a web server with Apache, PHP and MySQL. The project tested it on Linux (LAMP), macOS and Windows (WAMP).
- Where to get it: the 0.0.7.1 Beta package (about 55 MB) is on SourceForge; newer code, up to June 2016, is on GitHub.
- Documentation: the INSTALL file only points to installation guides on gaiaehr.org, and that site no longer responds. Expect to work from the code.
- Version gotcha: the code dates from 2014–2016 and was written for the PHP and MySQL versions of that time. Expect compatibility work on current PHP; test in a virtual machine, never on a production server.
- Beta status: every published version carries the “Beta” label. Do not store real patient data in it.
Limitations
- No dental module: only a dental history list, with no tooth chart, odontogram, periodontal chart or treatment plan.
- Dormant since 2016 and never released beyond beta.
- The official website and installation guides are offline.
- The mdTimeline fork has not produced stable releases, and its last commit was in March 2024.
- US-oriented medical EHR design; no dental insurance claims.
- No regulatory certification is claimed in the repository.
GaiaEHR vs alternatives
| Tool | What it is | Dental charting |
|---|---|---|
| GaiaEHR | Free, open-source medical EHR, dormant since 2016 | No (history list only) |
| Open Dental | Commercial dental practice management software with a trial version | Yes |
| OneTouch EMR | Commercial cloud medical EMR used in a browser and through an iPad app | Not a dental system |
| OpenClinic GA | Free, open-source hospital information system | No |
For a dental practice, a maintained dental system such as Open Dental is the realistic choice. For a free, open-source record in a hospital setting, OpenClinic GA is still available as packaged releases, while GaiaEHR is mainly of interest as source code.
FAQ
Where can I find the GaiaEHR download?
The last packaged release, 0.0.7.1 Beta, is on the GaiaEHR SourceForge project, and the source code is on GitHub under gaiaehr/gaiaehr.
Is GaiaEHR free?
Yes. It is open source under the GPL v3, with no licence fee.
Does GaiaEHR have a dental module?
No. It only has a dental history list with CDT codes and dates; there is no tooth chart or dental treatment planning.
Is GaiaEHR still maintained?
No. The last release was in 2014 and the last commit in 2016.
What is mdTimeline?
mdTimeline is a GitHub fork that describes itself as “formerly known as GaiaEHR”. It had commits until March 2024 but no stable releases.
How is GaiaEHR related to OpenEMR?
GaiaEHR started in 2009 as MitosEHR, a fork of OpenEMR, and was later renamed GaiaEHR; it uses an Ext JS interface in the browser.
Can GaiaEHR run on Windows?
Yes, as a web application on a WAMP stack (Apache, MySQL, PHP on Windows); users then work in a browser.
Last checked against official sources: 28 September 2026 (developer website: github.com). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.
