GNUmed

GNUmed is a free, open-source electronic medical record for ambulatory care, written for doctors and other health professionals who document patients over many years. If you searched for “GNUmed download” hoping for a dental package, note plainly: there is no “GNUmed Dental Forms” add-on and no dental module. GNUmed is a general-practice EMR; a dental team can use its generic templates, document archive and image annotation, but not a tooth chart.

The project is active. Version 1.8.25 was released on 6 September 2026 with database schema v22.35, and a 1.9 branch is in release-candidate testing. It runs on Linux, Windows and macOS and uses a client-server design: a PostgreSQL database plus a desktop client written in Python with wxPython.

GNUmed at a glance

What it does

• SOAP-structured progress notes organised by health issue and episode, with a browsable timeline.
• Visual progress notes: annotate image templates or clinical photographs directly in the record.
• Document archive: add scans, camera images, PDFs or video by file, drag-and-drop or scanner; documents can have parts of different types.
• DICOM access through an external DICOM server (PACS plugin), so imaging studies can be looked up from the patient record.
• Template-based letters and forms in LibreOffice, LaTeX, PDF or AbiWord, filled from patient data via placeholders.
• Medication lists, prescriptions, allergy and interaction warnings; lab results with plotting; vaccination records.
• Coding with ATC, ICD-9/ICD-10, ICPC-2, ICPM and LOINC.
• Waiting lists, inbox messaging between staff, multi-branch support, simple invoices, and concurrent multi-user access with auditing.

How dental teams use it

GNUmed has no odontogram, perio chart or dental procedure codes. These are the realistic ways a dental or oral-surgery team can use it.

Keep photos and radiograph exports with the record

1. Open the patient and go to the document archive.
2. Drag in intraoral photos, exported radiograph images or referral PDFs, and give each document a type and date.
3. Use the export area to collect selected files into one package when referring the patient.

Annotate a chart image during a visit

1. Prepare your own image template, for example a tooth diagram drawn by your clinic.
2. In the progress note, add a visual note from that template and mark findings on it.
3. Remember this is a picture with annotations, not structured tooth data you can query.

Write consent forms and referral letters

1. Create a LibreOffice or LaTeX template with GNUmed placeholders for name, date of birth and provider.
2. Register it as a form template in GNUmed.
3. Generate the filled document from the patient record and archive the signed copy.

Install and first run

• Debian/Ubuntu: install the gnumed-client package (and gnumed-server for a local database). Distribution packages can lag behind: Debian testing carries 1.8.25, while Debian 13 “trixie” ships 1.8.21.
• Windows and macOS: download the client tarball from the official download area, unpack it, run the check-prerequisites script to see which components (Python, wxPython, database driver) are missing, install them, then start the client with the gm-from-vcs script (.bat on Windows).
• Try before you install a server: the project offers a public test database (publicdb.gnumed.de) so you can explore the client with fictitious data.

Gotchas: each major client release expects a matching database version, so upgrade client and server together; never put real patient data on the public test database; and the Windows and macOS route is manual, so budget time for dependency setup.

Limitations

• No dental charting, periodontal chart or dental billing codes.
• Invoicing is basic and was not built for insurance claims in the US, UK or Canada.
• The desktop client needs Python and wxPython; setup on Windows and macOS is more hands-on than a normal installer.
• Documentation is partly being moved from the old wiki, so some pages are incomplete.
• Community support only (mailing lists, bug tracker); no commercial vendor behind it.

GNUmed vs alternatives

Elexis is another open-source desktop practice system, but its billing is built for Switzerland. OSCAR EMR is browser-based and aimed at Canadian primary care. LibreHealth EHR is web-based but dormant since 2017. Of these, GNUmed has the most actively maintained open-source code and the strongest document archive, but none of them replaces dedicated dental practice-management software for tooth charting.

FAQ

Where can I get the GNUmed download?

From the official website’s download area (client tarballs) or, on Debian and Ubuntu, from the distribution’s package manager. The official site also lists the current version and changelog.

Does GNUmed run on Windows?

Yes. The project states it runs on GNU/Linux, Windows and Mac OS X; on Windows you install the prerequisites and start the client with the supplied batch script.

What is the GNUmed server?

It is the PostgreSQL database plus bootstrap scripts that create the GNUmed schema. Several client workstations connect to one server.

Is GNUmed an EMR or a practice-management system?

Primarily an electronic medical record for longitudinal care. It includes waiting lists, simple invoicing and inbox messaging, but not a full appointment book of its own; it can integrate with external calendar tools.

Is GNUmed free?

Yes. It is free and open source under the GNU GPL, with no licence fees.

Are there GNUmed dental forms?

No official dental forms package exists. You can write your own letter and form templates, but there is no dental module.

Last checked against official sources: 29 September 2026 (developer website: gnumed.de). Versions and licence terms change — confirm on the developer's site before deploying in a clinic.