VA Issues Draft for a Vista EHR Open Source Custodial Agent-Have They Spoken to Medsphere to Perhaps Collaborate-Is There Anyone Really Going To Do That?

Here we go again maybe, innovation without collaboration and to me it would make sense to talk to thee folks since they have taken the Vista format and have installations? Maybe? Are we still just stuck on that “I” word? <grin>. The growing move right now are collaborative issues with both private and government groups, right, or at least that the buzz words everyone puts out there. The post below is fairly recent, from December of 2010 and obviously we have some code written here that could have potential use and it appears we might have some expertise to take advantage of.

Lutheran Medical Center Goes Live with OpenVista Electronic Health Records In New York and 2 More In New Jersey Up Next

Back in 2008 Medsphere took the VA system and created a commercial version that could be used outside of the VA. Back in 2008 one hospital in Century City did a record time installation but about a year later this fine hospital on the outskirts of Beverly Hills, in the same area as Goldman Sachs, AIG, etc. in Century City had to go bankrupt and close, and it was a good hospital, but even when surrounded by the big corporate conglomerates next door, that had no effect on investors, sad. We also have this going on too, all good stuff, but folks can we collaborate is the big question or is someone going to have emerge as having the better mouse trap and some marketing bragging rights that will be fully exploited and promoted via Facebook?

VA to develop prototype for VistA - Aviva Virtual A Web Enabled System

The revamp is needed they said to support the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) initiative and make it easier to exchange patient data. The Coast Guard just recently went with Epic Medical records and good thing they all use the common MUMPS back end for data so that’s half the battle and less expense with needing “the consultants” to charge even bigger fees to come in and create middleware or some other type of interchange. Those are the folks making big money in healthcare records today, and some are owned by health insurance companies on top of that. How long before these subsidiaries of insurance companies start taking over medical record companies I wonder? That’s a good question to ponder and keep your eyes open as the pressure will be on the vendors to fork out money to work with the “consultant's” interfaces, yup that’s coming and is probably already in existence. Look at the money here to bring DOD and the VA together on the VLER.

$91 Million Prime Contract Awarded to Support Medical Record Sharing Veterans Affairs Beneficiaries–VLER-Lifetime Virtual Electronic Record Program– VA and DOD

If you purchase your medical record system through a REC, as a hospital or doctor you may see savings but the pricing and licensing to the medical record vendor is not going to help them financially, and thus in a year or so we should start seeing a sell out to those health insurance subsidiaries when innovation and pricing hit the wall with affordability for the vendors. This is me talking out loud, so when it happens remember you heard about before it happened. If you don’t collaborate now it will cost even more later. BD

The Department of Veterans Affairs has issued a draft request for proposal for an "EHR Open Source Community Custodial Agent," that will create and manage an open source "ecosystem" for the department's electronic health records software development.

VA Seeks an EHR Open Source Traffic Cop