VistApedia - User contributions [en]

What is VistA Really

2007-08-13T21:00:27Z

Forummgr: minor typos.

VistA is a Electronic Health Record programmed by Federal (US) employees working for the Department of Veterans Affairs (previously Veterans Administration) for several decades, since the late 1970s. Because it was developed by Federal Employees, it is available under a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. The version of VistA available directly from the US Government is usually referred to as FOIA VistA.

But what is exciting about that? What is VistA really? Why do people have such strong feelings about it? This is the WorldVistA wiki, and we tend to be fans of VistA, so here is the page that will give some insight to what is great about VistA.

== Disputed History ==
The [http://www.hardhats.org/history/hardhats.html history of VistA available from hardhats.org] indicates that VistA development began in the late 1970's. VA documents, such as the [http://www.va.gov/vista_monograph/ VistA Monograph] date the start of VistA as in the mid 1980's. Why the discrepancy? In short the version at hardhats is the real version. It documents how VistA moved from an underground movement to a celebrated system.

VistA and the vision of VistA was a programmer lead counter-culture within the VA. Programmers and administrators often risked their jobs (and some lost them) in order to develop a system that would satisfy clinical needs at the local hospital. Each programmer was primarily interested in the needs of clinical users who worked at the same local VA hospital that the programmer did. However, they were committed to building software that could be used across the VA system.

What is unique about this is that it represented one combined system that was developed by a distributed team. In short, the creation of VistA was a precursor to the distributed "open source" development style way before the concept came into vogue in the 1990's. The best description of this style of distributed development is in a paper called [http://catb.org/~esr/writings/cathedral-bazaar/cathedral-bazaar/ "The Cathedral and the Bazaar"] by Eric Raymond.

The VA dates "VistA" from the time when they approved the software. The VA was using VistA long before they approved it, but only in some of their hospitals, instead of across the VA system. In fact, the name "VistA" was not created until much later, the original name was DHCP (for Decentralized Hospital Computer Program). The VA bureaucracy is primarily concerned (as it should be) with the care of veterans. As one can imagine, this is a highly political issue with tremendous pressure from Washington. Enlightenment with regards to the development of VistA is largely independent of bureaucratic ability. When the VA is lead by VistA-enlightened leadership, VistA tends to thrive and move forward. When the VA is lead by those ignorant of VistA and software generally, VistA tends to stagnate.

The tension between those who actually make VistA good (the VistA programmers, ADPACs, and CACs) and the bureaucracy in charge of the VA resources still exists. In many ways the purpose of WorldVistA is to ease this tension. WorldVistA is intended to be neutral meeting place for VA programmers, VA bureaucrats and those external to the VA. The only common theme in the WorldVistA community is the interest in VistA and making VistA better.

== Licensing of FOIA VistA ==

Despite the way in which VistA was developed, it is a common mis-conception that VistA is "Open Source" software. Technically, VistA is in the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain public domain]. As a result VistA can legally be the basis of both proprietary software and Free and Open Source Software. [http://www.linuxmednews.com/974769856/index_html FOIA VistA does meet the strict definition of "Free Software"].

The fact that VistA can be proprietary software AND free software creates an ongoing tension between different portions of the VistA community. For instance WorldVistA has a policy of releasing software under the [[http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=GPL General Public License (GPL)]]. The GPL is a "keep-it-free" license that prevents someone from controlling the software and making it unavailable to others. Some proprietary VistA vendors favor other licenses that allow for proprietarization.

== What do you mean by... ==

The first barrier to really understanding VistA is one of overlapping vocabularies. Often people who are technically savvy have a more difficult time with this than those with less technological experience. This problem is directly related to the age of VistA. VistA developed in parallel with many technologies that we take for granted. Often names for technologies in VistA overlap with the names for more common technologies and give tremendous headaches to new VistA developers.

"RPC" is a good example. When most people outside the VistA Community say RPC they are referring to a common *nix messaging system. This [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remote_procedure_call standard meaning of RPC] is based on the same basic idea as the [[VistA RPC]] mechanism, but otherwise, and in detail, bears no resemblance. CPRS connects to VistA using the [[VistA RPC]] methods, so it is an important part of the VistA technology model, but its name often causes confusion with those familiar with the more common meaning of RPC.

There are two things that you can do to avoid being confused: first, do not assume that you know what a "VistA person" means when they use these technological terms, and second, read the [[Confusing Terms]] section of this website.

== Your programming language is named after a disease? ==

VistA is written in [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MUMPS MUMPS]. There are several facts about MUMPS that often confound first time programmers.

* MUMPS is not a C-based syntax, as most modern programming languages are. This means that MUMPS code looks strange to outsiders.
* MUMPS is not white space invariant. This means that you must pay attention to where you put spaces. Many modern program languages allow you to freely put in spaces at any point (following FORTRAN rules originally) With MUMPS you must be careful where you indent using spaces. Putting multiple spaces in some places is not allowed at all, which will really bother you if you like python (which forces indentation as part of the syntax instead of using periods as MUMPS does)
* MUMPS is its own database, but its database is not SQL. Its a [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hierarchical_model Hierarchical Database] that is ideally suited to healthcare
* Globals (variables) means something in the permanent database, ie: global across all processes in the system, not the typical programming meaning of global across all the subparts of a single program (variables that are shared within all parts of a single program are called locals in MUMPS).
* MUMPS often behaves like an operating system. Due to space limitations, some original implementations of MUMPS actually were the operating systems on the machine, and this legacy still influences the behavior of MUMPS.

Business people might be a little jarred by some of the business implications of MUMPS.

* There are very very few qualified MUMPS programmers, compared to the much larger number of programmers in mainstream languages. There are more MUMPS people than SNOBOL or many of other programming languages of the same generation, but the number of programmers for the market segment is definitely disproportional. Just because MUMPS is very commonly used in healthcare does not mean that it is easy to find non-healthcare programmers who use MUMPS.
* It takes a competent computer scientist much longer to learn MUMPS than other languages because MUMPS maintains backward compatibility to ideas that modern computer scientists don't see except in assembly language programming, such as the GOTO command or line tags.
* Because they are rare, MUMPS programmers are often expensive

MUMPS is too often written off as an obscure language and thus having little or no value. Here are some of the really good things about MUMPS

* Excellent string handling
* The database is really really good, especially for healthcare
* It is unbelievably fast, as it was designed to run on ancient hardware, so it flies on modern hardware.

== VistA is a text based (command line) system. CPRS is only the GUI. ==

Many many people who have used VistA think that CPRS '''is''' VistA. Most of VistA is what is known as "roll and scroll" or a terminal application. VistA was designed long before monitors where capable of complex graphics displays. Old monitors that only displayed text were called terminals. Modern computers use [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Terminal_emulator Terminal Emulators] which allow modern computers to interface with applications as though they were terminals.

Much of VistA is only available on terminals. CPRS is a [[GUI~|GUI]] client written in Borland's Delphi (Pascal) that uses VistA-RPC calls to connect to VistA. Most of the underlying architecture of VistA will not be discussed here, but it is important to clarify that CPRS is only part of what VistA has to offer.

[[Image:Server.png|Basic VistA architecture]]

Many people unjustly dismiss terminal applications. GUIs make learning programs faster, terminals make using programs faster. Once the initial learning curve is overcome, terminals offer faster data entry and better response times than most modern GUI applications. When given the choice, experienced users often prefer the terminal, and often lose productivity when forced to use GUIs. Some of this is because Graphical interfaces use both a mouse and a keyboard, and some of this is because GUIs can change the location of information on the screen, where as text applications are highly predictable about where the same information is displayed.

People who only rarely use a program have to figure out how to use it from scratch every time they use the program. For these people, a GUI is the best program system, because they have to use their general knowledge about computer systems every time they use the program, and figure out how to use the program anew every time.

Often clinicians need graphical displays that are not possible in terminal applications, such as graphing results, or seeing trends. CPRS is intended to perform most of the common clinical functions in a GUI environment.

== What is CPRS? ==
[[CPRS]] is the dominate GUI for VistA. It takes a small percentage of the underlying VistA functionality and presents it in a graphical fashion. CPRS focuses on those activities that are most frequently used by clinicians. Often those without direct patient contact, such as pharmacists, do not have a GUI based interface, and must use the traditional roll-and-scroll terminal interface. Since so many clinicians are trained with CPRS, and because they often only use this interface, many clinicians assume that CPRS is VistA.

This is not entirely a bad thing. CPRS provides a very well thought-out approach to the underlying VistA capabilities. It is relatively easy to use, given the complexity and depth that it contains. A quick look at the [http://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&lr=&q=CPRS+VistA&btnG=Search Google Scholar search for "VistA" and "CPRS"] reveals that CPRS is one of the most studied EHR interfaces available.

CPRS is also very, very customizable. In the VA, the [[Clinical Application Coordinator]] (CAC) role, is essentially responsible for the care and feeding of CPRS. A competent CAC is capable of tuning CPRS in numerable ways, it is possible to configure CPRS to the preferences of departments, floors, or even individual clinicians. The CPRS menu is capable of linking to other programs, because of this separate clinical programs can appear to a part of CPRS even though they are actually separate applications.

CPRS is often criticized by recent programmers for being "long in the tooth" (that means too old for you Yankees). It is written in Delphi which is no longer as a popular programming language as it was in the mid 1990s. Like the rest of VistA, CPRS was written when computers were much slower, and as a result CPRS is comparitively very light-weight. While the community is seeking a [[Compelling CPRS Replacement]] CPRS itself continues to run on computers that are too old to run any commonly deployed proprietary EHR systems.

== Contact the Editor ==
This page was originally written and is currently edited by [http://www.fredtrotter.com Fred Trotter]. If you have comments or suggestions about the contents of the article please [http://www.fredtrotter.com contact Fred Trotter] directly.

CPRS Overview

2007-08-13T20:45:07Z

Forummgr:

= Overview of CPRS =

CPRS provides clinicians, managers, support staff, researchers, and others an integrated patient record system. VISTA software for Pharmacy, Lab, Radiology, Allergy Tracking, Consults, Dietetics, Progress Notes, Problem List, Scheduling, MAS (A/D/T), Kernel, FileManager, Vitals, PCMM, PCE, TIU, ASU and Clinical Lexicon packages was written or modified to support and communicate with CPRS. OE/RR was completely re-written. Together, these clinical components of VISTA provide a single interface for physicians to manage patient care and records, as well as an efficient means for others to access and use patient information.

== Features: ==

=== Smooth transition from OE/RR ===
When a VAMC installs CPRS, a fully automated process converts existing orders, order dialogs, orderable items, medications, labs, consults, clinical notifications and other components into CPRS. No patient data is lost and little or no manual conversion is required. Installation of CPRS only requires 1-2 hours of system downtime, with little impact on users and patient care. Because of its “user-friendly” design, most VA clinicians can use CPRS with minimal training.

=== OE/RR core module. ===
All basic CPRS tasks occur within the M environment. Tasks relegated to the GUI workstation include those necessary to communicate with the server and to present and obtain data. Specific components of the core M module for OE/RR include:
==== Order processing and storage. ====
Processing orders in CPRS includes: 1) order dialog presentation, 2) order checking, 3) appropriate holding/processing/status assignment related to user credentials, order signature status, and filling package, 4) HL7 formatting, and 5) event posting for filling package and other interested parties, 6) receiving order status messages from filling package, and 7) updating the appropriate data files. Order storage in CPRS includes a complete, date/time-stamped history of all events related to the order including status changes, ordering, requesting, and signatory personnel, related order checks, and override reason, flagged order data, and various components related to the filling package.
==== Mechanism for clinical orderable items. ====
Orderable items are phrased in physician-friendly terms, centrally stored and can be updated at individual VAMCs. Updating is coordinated between OE/RR core and ancillary packages via HL7 messages.
==== Flagged orders. ====
An order can be flagged when it requires special attention. A notification regarding the flagged order is sent to appropriate caregivers assigned to the patient.
==== Electronic signature. ====
Orderable items can be assigned varying degrees of electronic signature requirements. Unsigned orders trigger a notification to appropriate patient caregivers.
==== Encounter management. ====
Orders are linked with specific patient encounters, facilitating point-of-care management and data exchange with encounter-oriented management processes.

==== Patient selection. ====
Extensive patient selection capabilities allow physicians to build patient lists based on ward, room-bed, clinic appointment, patient’s primary provider/attending physician, team and individual patient. Once created, providers’ preferred patient lists are automatically loaded when they access CPRS. For example, a provider can set up a patient list based on each day’s clinic appointments. This list is built automatically each day and displayed to facilitate easier patient selection.

=== List Manager Interface. ===
Non-GUI, ANSI terminals use the CPRS List Manager interface. Designed with a great deal of clinician usability feedback, this interface displays allergies, lab results, medications, existing orders, consults, and other clinical data in a format conducive to decision making. The order entry process has been streamlined to gather the most pertinent information necessary to fill the order.

=== GUI Interface. ===
Clinical workstations in the Windows environment access CPRS through a Delphi-based Graphical User Interface (GUI). Based on years of prototyping, usability studies, and actual clinical use, the CPRS GUI is a full implementation of results reporting and order entry. It communicates with CPRS server processes through the Kernel Broker client-server utility. Data is exchanged via an extensive list of remote procedure calls.

=== HL7 Messaging/Event Processing. ===
Communication between VISTA packages participating in CPRS is accomplished primarily through event-driven HL7 messaging. This approach allows multiple processes to subscribe to a single CPRS event. The structure and content of the HL7 message provides consistent data for processes subscribing to an event. Additional application programmer interfaces (APIs) exist between OE/RR and ancillary packages to provide data not supported by HL7.

=== VAMC Parameters and Defaults. ===
Every VAMC has specialized needs regarding CPRS functionality and processing. To allow variation and modification among VAMCs, CPRS provides a hierarchically structured set of parameters. Each parameter can have a user, team, service/section, patient location, division, system, and package value. The extensive set of parameters exported with CPRS allows VAMC administrators and CPRS users to fine-tune the functionalities and processes specific to their needs.

=== Remote Procedure Calls. ===
Generically written data extraction/storage remote procedure calls (RPCs) provide access to VISTA clinical data for CPRS interfaces, VAMC-developed software, and HOST/COTS applications.

=== Consult/Request Tracking. ===
A fully functional consulting package is exported with CPRS. Integrated tightly with CPRS, consults provides consult ordering/requesting, tracking, and resulting. Consulting events such as requesting and resulting trigger notifications to appropriate health care providers, who can then quickly react to the request or result.

=== Patient/Team Lists. ===
Patient and Team List functionality in CPRS provides several methods for linking health care providers with patients. Team relationships can be based on ward, room-bed, provider, specialty, and/or clinic. Membership is updated automatically when patients are admitted, discharged, transferred, or assigned to a clinic.

=== Expert System. ===
The CPRS Expert System is a modular, rule-oriented, knowledge-based system. It supports CPRS as the basis for real-time order checking (e.g. critical drug interactions, duplicate orders) and background notifications (e.g. critical lab results, expiring medications.) Components include: a Meta-Dictionary for linking discrete medical concepts with data located in files, messages and dialogs; a Rule Editor for creating and editing medical logic modules (MLMs) or rules which relate meta-dictionary concepts in logical expressions; an Inferencing Engine for processing the rules against data; and a Router for distributing results or messages.

=== Clinical Notifications. ===
The Notifications component generates patient-specific clinical alerts regarding order entry, consult, radiology, lab, pharmacy, dietetics, and A/D/T information.Alerts are displayed to VISTA users when they sign onto the computer. They can also be delivered to printers, files, and terminals. Many alerts allow recipients to take related follow-up actions. For example, a patient’s unsigned order triggers an alert to appropriate health care providers. When a recipient selects the alert, the follow-up action displays the patient’s unsigned orders and prompts for electronic signature. Via parameters, VAMCs can disable or enable notifications for users, teams, patient locations, services, divisions, and systems.

=== Order Checking. ===
Order Checks are messages interactively displayed to the ordering provider during an ordering session. They occur in real-time and are driven by responses entered by the ordering provider in conjunction with existing patient data. Order Checks are rated according to potential clinical danger level. Order check messages with a low or moderate clinical danger level can be ignored. High clinical danger level order checks require the entry of a reason if they are overridden. This information is passed on to the filling package (e.g. pharmacy) as part of the order. All order check messages include a prompt to cancel or change the order. Via parameters, VAMCs can adjust order check clinical danger levels and disable or enable order checks for users, teams, patient locations, services, divisions, and systems.

=== Online CPRS Demo ===

You can quickly see a demo of CPRS by downloading the [http://www1.va.gov/cprsdemo/ VA CPRS Demo] from the VA.

CPRS

2007-08-13T20:43:49Z

Forummgr:

#REDIRECT [[CPRS Overview]]

Is Mumps a serious limitation to complete EHR functionality, code maintainence, HL7, or PMS interfacing?

2007-07-25T22:27:16Z

Forummgr:

There are several major commercial EHRs that use MUMPS. In fact,
the language was developed expressly FOR the health care
environment. There are far more limitations (and serious ones at
that) in most other languages and especially strict SQL

Absolutely not. I will go one step further than Cameron.
I have heard that M is the #1 language used for EHR's.
Epicare, which just contracted for EHR for Kaiser, is based
on M, for example.

[[User:RickMarshall|Rick Marshall]] replies:

How many completely functional EHRs can you name that are not written in
MUMPS, whose functionality even comes close to VistA's? As far as I
know, MUMPS is the only programming system designed specifically for
medical systems development. Standard MUMPS cannot be used to generate
sophisticated graphical interfaces, but it can be used to communicate
with programming languages that do. No language does all things, nor
should, nor can. Programming requires mastery of multiple languages,
and the core language must be carefully chosen. The best reason for
using Standard MUMPS as VistA's core language is that it is decades too
late to do anything else. VistA is already written in Standard MUMPS,
and it took twenty-eight years to get this far. Replacing Standard
MUMPS at this point is an irresponsible waste of resources that could
instead be used to easily extend VistA to save lives. It is like
arguing that brick is passe, so we should shut down New York City for
fifty years so we can remove all the brick and replace it with something
more popular. Replacing Standard MUMPS to improve code maintenance (for
example) is like replacing my DNA so I can learn to play the
flute--unnecessary and irrelevant. Standard MUMPS is VistA's DNA.

Honestly, though, why does anyone who is not a programmer care what it
was written in? What is Mac OS X written in? How about Microsoft
Word? Google? Quicken? The Sims? Do you feel competent to evaluate
which programming language is ideal for a given problem domain? After
twenty-one years of programming practice and study, I do not know beyond
my chosen field of medical software. I certainly do not feel competent
to choose among surgical instruments. I could spend time trying to
teach nontechnical people how to evaluate programming systems enough to
understand why VistA had to be written in Standard MUMPS (something even
most programmers evidently do not understand), or they could spend a
fraction of that time teaching me what they need VistA to do for them.
If I can get VistA to do all those things for them, then in the end who
cares what language it is written in?

[[Category:FAQ]]

1) Is Mumps a serious limitation to complete EHR functionality, code maintainence, HL7, or PMS interfacing?

2007-07-25T22:24:39Z

Forummgr:

#REDIRECT [[Is_Mumps_a_serious_limitation_to_complete_EHR_functionality%2C_code_maintainence%2C_HL7%2C_or_PMS_interfacing%3F]]

What human language is CPRS written to use ?

2007-07-24T01:11:33Z

Forummgr:

= What human language is CPRS written to use ? =

CPRS was written for English speakers. A project in WorldVistA is underway to translate it into multiple human languages.

[[Category:FAQ]]

FAQ

2007-07-20T16:15:18Z

Forummgr:

This is a list of some common FAQs
the best list of FAQ is under the [http://www.vistapedia.com/~forum/index.php?title=Category:FAQ FAQ category]

# [[What is CPRS?]]
# [[What computer language is CPRS written in ?]]
# [[What human language is CPRS written to use ?]]
# [[Is CPRS the only way to access Vista with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Does Vista exist with MUMPS roll-and-scroll and the GUI interface is CPRS, a separate program ?]]
# [[Which options in Vista can be used with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Where are the best directions for installing CPRS ?]]
# [[Is CPRS self-contained (requiring only fundamental knowledge of computers) ?]]
# [[Do I have to know Windows internals to install CPRS ?]]
# [[I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?]]
# [[Where do I get the CPRS program?]]
# [[What is the RPC Broker?]]

FAQ

2007-07-20T16:14:40Z

Forummgr:

This is a list of some common FAQs
the best list of FAQ is under the FAQ category

# [[What is CPRS?]]
# [[What computer language is CPRS written in ?]]
# [[What human language is CPRS written to use ?]]
# [[Is CPRS the only way to access Vista with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Does Vista exist with MUMPS roll-and-scroll and the GUI interface is CPRS, a separate program ?]]
# [[Which options in Vista can be used with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Where are the best directions for installing CPRS ?]]
# [[Is CPRS self-contained (requiring only fundamental knowledge of computers) ?]]
# [[Do I have to know Windows internals to install CPRS ?]]
# [[I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?]]
# [[Where do I get the CPRS program?]]
# [[What is the RPC Broker?]]

Projects

2007-07-20T15:54:06Z

Forummgr: /* Intelligent Database of VISTA Global and Routine Documentation */

Below find the unedited and unprioritized project idea submissions. The project is in process and open for new submissions. This iteration of project submissions will close on 07/06/2006.

== Projects ==
Welcome to the WorldVistA "Brainstorming" Projects Page
The Projects page is the working directory of WorldVistA project ideas. All project concept are welcome - new and old.

== The Process ==
1. Project ideas and description will be collected and published on this page.

2. High-level benefit analysis will be applied.

3. Suggestions will be reviewed, prioritized and endorsed by the WorldVistA leadership.

4. Funding will be sought and teams will be organized for projects that are determined to be of high value and show promise of successful completion.

== Brainstorming Rules: ==
1. Offer and collect as many ideas as possible.

2. All ideas are valuable, the more the better. One crazy idea spawns three rational ideas.

3. Don't spend time discussing details during brainstorming phase. Ideas submitted will be analyzed and deconstructed at length later...

4. Do not be critical of ideas, it stifles the process and make creative thinkers go back into the box.

5. Build on other ideas. Linking one idea to another is powerful.

6. Capture all ideas and make them visible.

7. Set a time limit. This iteration closes on 07/06/2007.

== Project Details requested ==
Please supply the following:
* Project title
* Brief description
* Benefit provided
* Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
* Email address (optional)
* link to projects.worldvista.org Project page if exists

(If you would rather submit your project ideas via email -- send them to webmaster@members.worldvista.org with the subject line: WorldVistA Projects)
Please add your project suggestion(s) here:

== List of Projects ==
1. Billing
===Billing Interfaces ===
Description: Interfaces with various billing services that can be made open source built and donated to the open source community. Pooling of resources may allow several practices to fund the construction of the interface that would be made available to all who wish to use it. Also, perhaps the billing companies could be persuaded to help defray the costs of development or be convinced to accept the current output from VistA.
Benefit Provided: Easier adoption of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

2. Billing
===Interface between FreeB and VistA ===
Description: FreeB is open source billing software written by Fred Trotter. Funding and help is needed to complete and interface between FreeB and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

3. Billing
===WorldVistA open source billing solutions===
Description: Software to support HIPAA compliant transactions using WorldVistA HL7 data will be developed and made freely available to provide standardized billing solutions for WorldVistA users. An open source Clearing House* solution will be developed for those users who wish to band together to share expenses and billing expertise by centralizing their billing transaction processing. Variants of the HIPAA transactions will be provided that accommodate the differences imposed by all the US state Medicaid programs and Medicare.
*note: “Clearing House” is defined as a “Covered Entity” in the US HIPAA regulations, which specify the rules for their operations. WorldVistA has the opportunity to standardize how they operate technically by providing a supported open source solution.
Benefit provided:
Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished populations elsewhere in the world.
1. Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

4. Billing
===GUI Cashiering and Billing===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to take charges and allow cashiers to apply cash/check, credit/debit card, charity/discounts, and dues, in addition to billing portions if applicable to corporate or insurance (with exclusions, co-payments, etc)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

5. Communications
===Add abstract/index and improve naming conventions for software on SourceForge===
Name: (anonymous)

6. Communications
===Press Kit===
Description: An information / press kit needed with key articles, links to demos, etc.
Name: (anonymous)

7. Communications
===Combine and edit SourceForge sites ===
Consolidate SourceForge resources (VOE project, WorldVistA EHR, WorldVistA, and VistAOutreach)
Name: (anonymous)

8. Communications
===Marketing and Public Relations ===
Build a press release contact database that spans from an international level to a grass roots level.
Name: Peter Bodtke

9. Communications
===Newsletter ===
I know that there are several groups, including Ignacio's, but the WV needs a marketing venue.
Name: Bob Olmedo

10. Communications
===Newsletter Topics ===
Description: There should be a newsletter of activities
Name: Dee Knapp and Ignacio Valdes

11. Communications
===WorldVistA EHR / VOE FAQs need to be updated
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

12. Communications
===WorldVistA.org links to software need to be edited
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

13. Community
===Community surveys===
Members skills and needs, adopter registry, and integrators registry
Name: Peter Bodtke

14. Community
===Interview groups that are using VistA ===
Contact groups that are using VistA in their clinics and interview them to gather information on what their experience. Build a reference list from this group and also add them to the User Directory.
Name: Bob Olmedo

15. Community
===New Organizations, MDC (new) and VDC (even newer) ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

16. Community
===OpenForum ===
(not sure what this project team had in mind)
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

17. Community
===User Directory Registration ===
Description: a page where users can document who they are, what they are doing, lessons learned, contact info, etc.
Name: Bob Olmedo

18. CPRS
===CPRS - Clinical enhancements ===
Description: Extending CPRS to a more useful product, not only to include VA omissions necessary for non-VA use (as I understand WV is already doing, like billing and pediatrics); but to make it more relevant and supportive for clinicians. For example, CPRS has no flow-sheeting capabilities; these would be useful in a variety of settings; but particularly for in-patient care. Also a way to help with major management issues; out-patient anticoagulation for example, or diabetes management, or childhood growth charts, etc. I have made some of these to add onto the Portland VA’s CPRS system, so could provide some screen shots, etc. In this vein, I would like to see a members section for clinicians as WV rolls out, to discuss and prioritize enhancements to the product. The VA is slow to respond to these needs, WV should be more receptive, perhaps developing and testing in cycles to correspond to certification (which if I remember correctly, it was every 3 years), so that the product could grow and remain certified. Also, as you get more experienced with certification, you might get a feel for what minor enhancements can be made between cycles.
I originally thought these changes would (or could) be done by the venders, but both the certification issue, and the ability to make these changes available to the whole subscription base (as well as a source of revenue), it might be better to be part of WV operation. If WV develops a team of programmers to do this, and to respond quickly to these needs, the product will be untouchable in the marketplace. The VA cannot do this due to their complex bureaucratic structure.
• Benefit provided
• Better product
• Source of revenue
• Marketing tool; customers (especially the early adopters) will have input into product’s features.
Name: Robert Felder

19. CPRS
===CPRS Enhancement ===
Description: Now that we have had to modify CPRS in order to pass CCHIT, it has made it practical to consider further enhancements to CPRS. The drawback is that they will need to be maintained which may be expensive in time and money. George Welch and Kevin Toppenberg have been working on this
Benefit: Improved functionality for CPRS
Name: Nancy Anthracite

20. CPRS
===CPRS for Linux ===
Description: Getting CPRS written with Borland Delphi running on Wine for Linux. Kevin Toppenberg is currently working on this with the Codeweavers helping with the wine end. Kevin is incorporating TFireFox to replace TWebBrowser to help.
Benefit Provided: Much lower cost for deployment of VistA particularly in developing countries.

21. CPRS
===Enhancing CPRS===
Description: Enhancing CPRS including working with providers and the system architect to decide what enhancements should be made/incorporated in the WV EHR gold standard CPRS and which might be optional for local modifications. This includes developing a method for maintaining and integrating these enhancements with future versions of CPRS from the VA. We have recently had an increase in the number of volunteers interested in working on CPRS so that this project has a much improved chance of success.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

22. Data Exchange / Elder care
===VistA for Nursing Homes ===
Description: There is a new MDS and data collection instrument coming out of CMS. This would integrate the data collection for those things necessary into the work flow of VistA so the separate tools are not needed to provide this functionality
Benefit: Nursing Homes are poorly funded and could use the increased safety, etc., that could be provided by VistA. Integrating this functionality into VistA could increase the ease of adoption. Nursing homes usually need to purchase this software. Better they utilize VistA with the additional capabilities it has instead.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

23. Data Exchange / ePerscribing
===ePrescribing===
Description: ePrescribing is being aggressively promoted by CMS and almost all large insurers due to proven cost-containment results, following the standards set forth by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). This project pursues the provision of ePrescribing capabilities to VistA, which entails online-access to ePrescribing networks from a central service which in turn provides VistA-users with eligibility and drug-coverage (formularies) information, medication histories and all other ePrescribing requirements. ePrescribing requires that we implement a central ePrescribing "gateway" service with access to RxHUB, SureScripts, drug-information databases, formularies, etc. for VistA / WorldVistA EHR users to access since ePrescribing networks do NOT provide access to individual EHR installations. To make this service available inside VistA may require that we extend CPRS (possibly through an extension/module similar to how VistA-Imaging does in the VA). This could also require that interfaces be instituted so prescriptions can be stored in each prescriber's system (as if originating from VistA's built-in Orders and Results.) The service would be provided through WorldVistA.
Benefit provided: ePrescribing is touted as the first step for wide-spread adoption of EHRs, so the project extends VistA into ePrescribing and quickly provides WorldVistA with a source of recurring revenue. The project dismisses any VistA-adoption-hesitation or negative-comments which result from lack of "modern-EHR" capabilities. Provide ePrescribing at a lower cost than current ePrescribing players currently in the market. Potentially could even be used to provide ePrescribing-capabilities to other smaller EHR-vendors.
Name: Richie Piovanetti

24. Data Exchange
===Ambulatory Care Data Capture ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

25. Data Exchange
===Biosense for VistA ===
Description: CDC has a program to collect real time data to support recognition of epidemics and terrorist attacks
Benefit: Provide nationwide, opt-in reporting capability to increase the ability of the CDC to pick up a problem. Also, to provide the same capability to the states that are taking an interest in doing their own statewide surveillance and for those world-wide who might like to do the same.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

26. Data Exchange
===Genomics Project===
Description: Prepare VistA to take in Genomic Data for patients.
Benefit: This data will soon be something that patients have for use in helping to make treatment decisions as well as for research. Research companies and universities are looking at WV EHR as a place to gather the date from their research subjects for subsequent analysis and for the necessary record keeping.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

27. Data Exchange
===Interoperable health data exchange===
Description: In the futuristic movie Demolition Man, the only restaurant was Taco Bell. In our experience, we are seeing that Epic is looking to be the Taco Bell of electronic health records. One of the key issues we have faced with potential clients of the VistA is interoperability with local hospitals and providers who are using Epic and other EHRs. We can establish agreements to provide access to patient health data to local emergency rooms and hospitals using the read only functionality. We can’t, conversely, electronically access patient data of care rendered from other proprietary EHRs for continuity of care purposes. We need to establish a mechanism for health data exchange, including a master patient index and clinical data warehouse. Benefit provided: Continuity of care, data standardization
Name: Khadijah Rashada

28. Data Exchange
===Transport of Medical and Health Records ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

29. Documentation
===Vista Functional Specification===
Description: This is a functional description of exactly what the vista software system does. It is written in Business executive and doctor administrator language, not programmer or hacker language. The description should include normal operation and degraded and failure modes.
Benefit provided: Vista has attracted medical professionals who also happen to be computer geeks. It cannot attract hardheaded business types who make corporate decisions and weigh business alternatives unless it has a clear and complete description that can be compared with alternatives, can permit tabulation of financial advantages and can have business values attached to each capability. As a second benefit, a functional specification will no doubt expose deficiencies in Vista that should be corrected.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

30. Education
===Develop educational materials / training materials / books===
Name: Peter Bodtke

31. Education
===Develop training CD's ===
[Note: we are using a product called TurboDemo to create training CD's for our members.(DW]
Name: Bob Olmedo

32. Education
===Documentation - VistA for Dummies. ===
Description: I think, we as technical people, assume the abilities of who is doing this.
Name: Bob Olmedo

33. Education
===Skype - use this tool as a support line. ===
Description: For example, we travel all over Palm Beach County. My users have Skype accounts; we all have wireless cards, so when our users need us (wherever we are) they can ask for help. This same setup can be used to support users that can purchase a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze support contract from WV (with volunteers on line). Does anyone know who owns the Skype account "WorldVistA"? (PB)
Name: Bob Olmedo

34. Education
===Test Data===
Description: Design and create a solid data set of health records for use in training and demonstration. Record set should cover a period of at least three years. Ability to age data is desired. Records could be created programmatically or as a distributed manual group effort. There are commercial and educational stakeholders that are very interested in this project.
Benefit provided: Provide a realistic and reasonably wide spectrum set of test records to the growing population of VistA users.

35. Education
===Training Ideas - Tools, Teachers, and Techniques ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

36. Education
===VistA Demo Appliance V1.2 ===
(next iteration, including "VistA link", Vitals, Patient Registration GUI)
Name: Peter Bodtke

37. Education
===VistA Documentation Repository ===
Description: Design, develop and moderate a VistA and WorldVistA E.H.R. documentation repository. Such a repository could be a collection of reference materials and practical guides for users and developers. The design and implantation would exceed the value of the Veterans Administration’s “VistA Documentation Library” (VDL) or there would be no need for this repository. The materials ideally would be reviewed for accuracy and quality before publication. An index of URL could be prepared for material is published on the Internet which is not available for inclusion in this proposed repository. Collaboration with the current major repositories (VDL, HUI, etc.) would need to be partnered with to make this a successful project.
Benefits: Provide a single source of accurate and reviewed information. Create a single starting point for all adopter, implementers, students, developers, venders, consultants, evaluators, etc.
Name: Peter Bodtke

38. Education
===VistA Education Server ===
Description: Demo installations of VistA offered to Universities for Education. Mock patient data and may be entered, etc. Server to be hosted by Hewlett Packard beginning June 26, 2006.
Benefit: Colleges have multiple uses for a training EMR from class simulations to demonstrations of the functionality of medical record systems. It will also raise the awareness of this open source record system.

39. Education
===WebEx courses ===
I bought a 10 user unlimited WebEx account for $39.95/mo. and I'm using it to provide weekly classes that 10 users can register for. You can charge $25 a class - good return on the investment.
Name: Bob Olmedo

40. Education
===Wiki Expansion===
Description: Expand scope of Wiki to cover informatics topics that are not (obviously) VistA-specific
Benefit provided: Much of the material on the Wiki today is narrowly focused on VistA applications, APIs and such. It is understandable to want to keep the scope of the Wiki narrowly focused, but there are problems with being too narrowly focused. For example, important topics of general interest to the community (network administration, data modeling and database design, programming topics, ontologies, interface design, etc., are either not included at all or (more likely) treated incompletely with information scattered throughout the Wiki where it is difficult to find. Restructuring the Wiki and encouraging a more systematic treatment of informatics topics could enhance its usefulness.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

41. Framework / Architecture
===Demographic and Insurance Information Improvement Project ===
Description: Identifying and creating an appropriate place for all of the data that various types of practices need to collect for demographics and insurance and trying to reach a consensus as to where everything should be mapped to.
Benefit: Increase ease of adoption and use for everyone interested in VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

42. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v2 enhancements ===
Description: Provide an expanded framework for HL7v2 development
Benefit provided: VistA HL7 focuses primarily on message transport, providing only minimal support to developers. In this sense, it is more analogous to an MTA like sendmail or qmail to a development framework. Although it is possible to off-load quite a bit of work to an interface engine (like Mirth), not everyone will be able to (or want to) use the same product, and even then development work is still required on the VistA end when creating new interfaces. Areas for improvement include better message parsing and generation capabilities, more HL7 knowledge, support for entire transactions (not just individual messages), the ability to auto-generate the relatively large amount of repetitive code that has to be crafted by hand today (or, as an alternative, a run-time processing engine), template capabilities and more support for database integration.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

43. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v3 ===
Description: Develop an implementation of HL7 version 3
Benefit provided: At present, VistA only supports HL7 v 2.x. That has worked well for the way HL is used now, but factors such as scale, interoperability, and new developments in medicine are likely to make adoption of v3 increasingly important. Even now, the CDA (and therefore the CCD) is v3 based.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

44. Framework / Architecture
===Next steps in standardization ===
Description: Develop a set of semantically driven tools for developing standards based interfaces
Benefit provided: At present, standards such as HL7 are supported through ad hoc mechanisms, such as developing message based interfaces that are product specific and closely tied to specific use cases or scenarios. There is very little support for generic tools, much less a framework to support semantically driven interface development. This project would develop tools and techniques that will reduce the amount of effort that must be expended on repetitive (and non-reusable) tasks through development of appropriate tools. A second aspect of the project (and they cannot really be separated) is developing a suitable language for describing concrete realizations of standards. Current work is generally hobbled by the lack of general concepts and tools, wit the result that projects become labor intensive and error prone, essentially starting from the beginning with each new project
Name: Greg Woodhouse

45. Framework / Architecture
===Ontologies and how VistA fits in with them. ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson (David Whitten and Greg Woodhouse also interested)

46. Framework / Architecture
===Open Source Lab Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and collectively creating lab interfaces to be used with Mirth for those la
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively or done by volunteers
Name: Nancy Anthracite

47. Framework / Architecture
===Scaleable interoperability and portability ===
Description: Develop a viable alternative to the current namespace framework
Benefit provided: The current framework of allocating 2-4 character namespaces and corresponding number spaces to each project and adopter does not scale well to a world where VistA is widely adopted (and leads to less than transparent code). We need a new framework, one that can grow with VistA while maintaining backward compatibility.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

48. Framework / Architecture
===Spread Sheet/Flow Sheet capability for VistA ===
Description: The VA is working to include this is VistA. It may be some time before it is ready and we could use it now. Hopefully we could accomplish this without stepping on what they are doing
Benefit: Allowing improved functionality for VistA in several areas, especially in ICU, OB, and long term care
Name: Nancy Anthracite

49. Framework / Architecture
===Update the race and ethnicity file according to standards===
Description: Enhance the current race and ethnicity file with a standards based file that makes sense from a medically and takes into consideration making changes in the future as the science advances.
Benefit: The race an ethnicity file has virtually no medically beneficial elements to it at this time. It more closely tracks political designations than those that might be helpful for the patient and the providers. ASTM and perhaps HL7 are both tackling this in a way that should help with this and, in my opinion, enhancing the system with one of these standards is needed. As genomics advances, we should be advancing with it.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

50. GUI / All
===GUI Interface===
Description: All new development projects should be done with GUI interfaces. Existing roll & scroll interfaces should be converted to GUI interfaces as-soon-as possible
Benefit Provided: GUI Interfaces will help WorldVistA better compete with commercial EMR applications and help WorldVistA gain more market share. It is also better for the end-user physicians and their staffs.
Name: Ed Salvador

51. GUI / All
===GUI Rest of VistA===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the rest of VistA is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

52. GUI / Labs
===GUI Laboratory===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Laboratory module is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

53. GUI / Patient Portal
===Patient Portal===
Description Bring the MyHealtheVet functionality to WorldVistA EHR
• Obtain electronic copies of key portions of their electronic health records
• Have confidence that their health information is stored in a secure and private web environment
• Add structured medical information
• Track personal health metrics, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, heart rate, and cholesterol
• Access a Health Education Library and health assessment tools
• Grant access to all or some of their health information to others, such as family other healthcare providers
• Send and receive electronic communication between patient and provider
Benefit provided
• Patient has electronic access clinical data as well as provider interaction
• Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
Name: Khadijah Rashada

54. GUI / Pharmacy
===GUI Pharmacy Module===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Pharmacy module is GUI. Allows for example OP medication orders to print prescription and drug labels immediately upon the doctor's order verification in the hospital Pharmacy (for tablets and liquids, for example, not for injections) so that the drugs are prepared and ready when the patient comes to the Pharmacy. These are all English-only; Arabic is not required. (In fact, accreditation requires documentation be in one language; and as most of the staff are expatriates throughout the region, English is the common language.)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

55. GUI / Practice Management
===Open Source Practice Management Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and perhaps collectively hiring folks to make interfaces with practice management systems that will allow the interface to be open source
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively
Name: Nancy Anthracite

56. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Interface between Fred Trotter's open source scheduling software and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

57. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Completion of the scheduling GUI started by George Welch written in Delphi.
Name: George Welch, Nancy Anthracite

58. GUI / Registration
===GUI Registration and Pre-Registration===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to register patients and their visits (IP or OP), pre-register (such as for appointments or IP visit if needed), including where relevant payer (such as patient self-pay or selecting a particular corporate account or insurance policy).
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

59. GUI / Scheduling
===GUI Scheduling===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to schedule appointments for patients (such as for X-Ray or Clinic or Physiotherapy visit); with type of appointment determining amount of time needed, which doctor or resource provides that service, etc; allowing patients to select among multiple doctors along with various scheduling criteria such as mornings or Wednesdays.
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

60. Imaging
===VistA Document Management===
Description: Take the real VistA imaging rename it to VistA Document Management and remove all references to FDA approval, ensure Dr. Dayhoff understands that the system will not be used for diagnosis, but rather document management, record management and capturing pictures of patients as needed.
Benefit provided : This is one of the critical areas that has been successfully addressed by the VOE. Driving towards a paperless offices can only be accommodated it the office has a path to get rid of the paper, using VistA imaging is a great solution.
Name: Jim Pietila

61. Implementation
===Configuration and Installation ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

62. Implementation
===Develop a self installing CD for WV EHR for both Cache and GT.M ===
Name: Bob Olmedo

63. Implementation
===Installers (WorldVistA EHR VOE w/Registration GUI, VistA/G.TM/Linux) ===
Description: Develop a suite of installers/set-up files, to assist in copying VistA, WorldVistA EHR files and clients to servers and desktops. This is a multiple stage development effort. First step - define installer types/classes (production, educational, demonstration), standardize deployment directories, learning installer tools and records clean-up (VistA). Second step - design and develop basic GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations, establish large scale resource hosting. Third step - design and develop advance GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations and provide administrative support interfaces for tasks such as journaling management and database back-up.
Name: Peter Bodtke

64. Integration
===LabCorp Interface ===
Description: Working with LabCorp to make their interface for VistA with the VA generally available. Benefits: Very fast hookups to LabCorp anywhere in the US Status: A programmer is working on making it easy to import the LabCorp Compendium into VistA and to take in unsolicited results. This will be an HL7 interface NOT utilizing Mirth because it is already virtually completely built to interface with VistA as is.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

65. Internationalization
===Achieve United Nations NGO status ===
Description: complete any outstanding tasks or application steps to achieve recognized United Nations Non-governmental Organization status. Below are the published requirements:
What are the Criteria for NGOs to become associated with DPI?
The NGO must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the UN and have a clear mission statement that is consistent with those principles;
• The NGO must be recognized nationally or internationally;
• The NGO should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
• The NGO must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes, with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities;
• The NGO should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
• The NGO should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centres/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
• The NGO should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified, independent accountant;
• The NGO should have statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of making decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Benefits: Raise the status and credibility of WorldVistA on an international level. NGO status will hopefully open doors to foreign governments and provide opportunities to collaborate with the World Health Organization.
Name: Peter Bodtke

66. Internationalization
===I18N (Internationalization) - Issues and Answers ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

67. Internationalization
===Internationalization ===
Description: Provide language, date, currency, and support resources for non-English speaking users, both domestic and international. This would include an interface translation process for VistA and WorldVistA EHR systems, client interface translations, documentation translation, and organize a team of foreign language speakers to communicate with and support non-English speaking users.
Benefit: Extend the reach of VistA and WorldVistA user population. Provide an affordable electronic health care to emerging countries.
Name: Peter Bodtke
(support foreign languages, i.e. Spanish)
Name: Kevin Toppenberg
Multiple language support (I am working on this)

68. Internationalization
===Postal Codes for non-US countries ===
Description: Developing a Method for handling the Postal Code files considering that non-US countries have other systems. This project is well underway and being tested. More testers welcome.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

69. Market Place
===International Vendor Services===
Description: Setup a large capacity training/implementation/help-desk capability for VistA for global deployment.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

70. Market Place
===EHR Market Place===
Medikin’s EHR marketplace is an economic catalyst* that will accelerate WorldVistA adoption by:
- enabling EHR solution buyers to find vendors with proven expertise
- providing vendors with unique opportunities to prove their expertise
- exposing buyers of other EHRs to WorldVistA’s disruptive value proposition
Key benefits to the WorldVistA organization:
- adoption
- demand
- exposure
- valuable information (for policymaking)
Key benefits to WorldVistA solution buyers:
- lower cost
- predictable results
reduced risk
- unique predictive, comparative data re vendors
- simple RFP submission process
- access to comprehensive database of vendors
Key benefits to WorldVistA vendors:
- jobs
- leads
- exposure
- networking contacts
- free advertising
-advertising income
-enhanced business profile
Economic catalyst. An entity that (a) serves two or more groups; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) who can't capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-creating reactions between them.
Excerpted (with paraphrase) from http://catalystcode.com/thebook/chapter1.php
The two groups being brought together in this case are the buyers and sellers of EHR solutions. Obviously they need each other to fulfill their objectives, but without an effective marketplace to catalyze their interactions, the numerous functional benefits of the marketplace which drive adoption are on a best efforts basis.
Name: Daniel Herschlag

71. Market Place
===Web-site advertising board ===
(generates revenue) $100/month (or what you decide) for a consultant to post their availability, this could be part of membership dues to be able to access this site, the person that hires the consultant can fill a "How did he do?" form that can help maintain the quality of service and consultants that are provided.
Name: Bob Olmedo

72. Module / Acupuncture & Chiropractic
===CAM Enhancements to VistA - Chiropractic & Acupuncture Modules ===
Description: For VistA to remain at the forefront of EHR systems, it needs to encompass Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modules. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Patients are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) in order to enhance their health and well-being. CAM includes acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, use of herbal remedies and other practices as an augmentation to more conventional medical treatments. The marketplace reflects this growing acceptance of complementary medicine by many patients and a small, but growing number of health care providers. By gathering and integrating health care information associated with the application of CAM procedures into a patient's electronic health record (EHR), more accurate measurement of outcomes can be generated. Best practices can then emerge showing which complementary medical practices are most effective when coupled with conventional medical treatments of specific disorders.
In a recent report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States (2005), the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention states that the total visits to CAM providers exceed total visits to all primary-care physicians. Out-of-pocket costs for CAM are estimated to exceed $27 billion, which shows that CAM is now big business. That does not include those therapies or treatments covered by insurance. Hospitals, managed care plans, and conventional practitioners are now incorporating CAM therapies into their practices. Medical schools, nursing schools, and schools of pharmacy are teaching their students about CAM.
It's hard to get an exact handle on the market for CAM, however, according to a recent article published on the Investors.Com web site, consumers snapped up about $54 billion worth of CAM services and dietary supplements in 2003. Of that figure, they claim that $34 billion went to all types of alternative services such as chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy and massage therapy, up from $25.5 billion in 1999. The U.S. market for dietary supplements isn't far behind, generating sales of $19.8 billion in 2003, up from $16.5 billion in 1999.
Benefit provided - It will enhance the capabilities and reputation of VistA in the world marketplace. It will include modules of CAM practices/treatment that patients and provider organizations are embracing whole heartedly. It will capture patient care information that is not being captured. It will allow providers to generate more revenue by charging for these CAM treatments. I suggest starting with the chiropractic and acupuncture modules.
Name: Peter Groen

73. Module / Acupuncture
===Acupuncture Support additions to VistA===
Description: Provide support for acupuncture practitioners in VistA Benefit: Acupuncture is being added to some traditional medical settings and there is a growing need to provide support for gathering data for care and research for those providers and their patients.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

74. Module / Chiropractic
===Chiropractic Support additions to VistA===
Description: Research and develop the additions to VistA that will support the practice of chiropractics
Benefit: Chiropractics is being incorporated into many traditional medical practices and a need to provide for those practitioners is growing.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

75. Module / Mental Health
===Mental Health Assistant ===
Description: Mental Health Assistant does not currently fully function with VistA. It will take a little more work to get everything working properly and it may mean waiting for the next iteration to be released in the future. However, we are making progress.
Benefits: Mental Health Assistant provides for the administration and scoring of Mental Health tests both by staff and by patients. This has become particularly important because public mental health hospitals and programs are taking a big interest in using VistA and because of the push to have the public sector help to support the returning veterans with PTSD
Name: Nancy Anthracite

76. Module / Portal
===WorldVistA Zimbra Integration===
Description: Integration of WorldVistA with the Zimbra HIPAA secure open source collaboration suite to synchronize messaging, users, patients, and calendars. Zimbra users will be able to schedule patient/client appointments which will automatically be reflected in the WorldVistA database, supporting the creation of clinical records at the time of the visit and effecting timely billing associated with the healthcare provided. This integration will allow all authorized personnel of healthcare providers and social service organizations, even those whose workforce is dispersed, to use local and remote HIPAA secure email and electronic patient scheduling
Benefits provided: Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished population elsewhere in the world.
Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

77. Module / PTSD
===Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Developments and Impacts ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

78. OB-GYN
===OB flow sheets (ACOG style) ===
Description: OB Flow sheets- See ACOG (American College of OB) paper charts: These are the standard. Apparently, in the VA, there are some Nursing Flow Sheets for ICU. These might be adaptable. Otherwise, you could pull data from the patient record and build it using XML and a Web server, like the approach they are taking for the Peds charts.
Name: Matthew King

79. OB-GYN
===OB-GYN project ===
Description: OB-GYN enhancements for VistA including Hollister like flow charts
Name: Nancy Anthracite

80. Organizational Design
===Organization Growth framework===
Description: We do need a structure and a process to spread VistA to its true potential. Many people, with diverse skills and experience will have to be involved. A similar situation exists with Open Source ERP/CRM, Compiere. I have a dated web site ( www.leo-systems.com), which deals with Compiere, learning it, implementation and training. It covers :
An ERP implementation is a complex project with several inter dependent activities, performed by many people, from various departments, who may be at several locations and often have different hidden agendas!
To improve your chances of success good project planning and effective project management are a MUST. We strongly recommend that you follow a suitable process. Many Consulting Organizations like Price Water House, Deloitte, and ERP Vendors, like SAP (ASAP), or Oracle (AIM) have their own implementation methodologies, based upon the way they work and are structured.
For Compiere, Leo Systems has put together this draft Implementation framework . It is based upon over three decades of experience in developing and implementing large custom developed and application packages, like in SAP, Oracle and Siebel. A spreadsheet has been provided to help estimate the role-wise hours required for the various tasks. We will also be making a MS Project Template. As your projects start, we would like feedback so the framework can be fine tuned, and metrics for Project Planning can be collected. This will help, in the spirit of Open Source to share your experience and help others who follow.
• The Process <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/process.htm>
• The Roles <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/roles.htm>
• The Process-Role Matrix <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/matrix.htm>
• Project Planning Spreadsheet <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/spreadsheet.htm>
• Structured Role based approach to learning Compiere <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/register/introduction/structured_learning.htm>
I would be interested in a project to develop a suitable structure using our experience form the above for VistA. Incidentally Open Source Compiere, or its forks, OpenBravo and Adempiere, which support multi-languages and currencies may also be good platforms to develop the missing links to commercial competition to VistA. A world, standardized on one Open Source system, VistA would be a good place to live in vs the babel of closed source (expensive) solutions which do not talk to each other.
I am also working on a framework UDoIT which helps in the management consulting, organization/process/workflow documentation (As-Is and To-Be), which should be a prelude to an implementation of VistA. It may be a big help to document the clinical processes of VA which have been implemented in VistA, to facilitate re-engineering the work flows built into VistA, to meet the localization needs of different clients, environments and countries. I expect 50-80% of the processes would be common across the world. A common base would also help WorldVistA from forking. I personally am confused with the various versions and variants. This will become a nightmare with no one single code base for future development.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

81. Pediatrics
===Pediatrics Project ===
Description: To implement the suggestions of the HL7 Pediatric SIG and others for improving Pediatrics for VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

82. Pediatrics
===Pediatric Growth Charts for VistA ===
Description; Integration of the ability to display, initially the CDC growth charts, but eventually WHO and growth charts for diverse ethnicities and world locations in VistA
Benefits: Needed by pediatricians everywhere. CDC level capability needed for CCHIT certification.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

83. Pediatrics
===Peds Growth Charts ===
Description: Peds Growth Charts and expansion of vitals package to include OB and Peds parameters Name: Matthew King

84. Pharmacy
===Prescription Autofinish===
Description: Use Microsoft Windows Printers. Reconfigure prescription autofinish to pipe data to windows printer instead of VistA drivers. This is dependent upon the version MUMPS used (Cache or GT.M)

85. Pharmacy
===True Fax functionality ===
Description: Fax service in autofinish nearly unusable. The Pharmacy Directory should be maintained in the windows fax software, so non-techies at each site can maintain their own lists.
Name: Matthew King

86. Repository
===Template, Reminder and Object Repository ===
Description: A source and hopefully some sort of rating system to point out the best of the best templates and objects for VistA
Benefit: Improved functionality for all users of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

87. Repository
===Vista Software Archive===
Description: This is an official version of Vista that is deposited with a software archiving organization.
Benefit provided: Business managers will be unlikely to approve the use of Vista in their organization if they feel that it
could change or disappear tomorrow leaving them out on a limb. An archived version would be always available even if the
present vista organization changes direction of gives up support.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

88. Revenue
===Corporate support ===
Leverage the CCHIT to contact different companies (Dell, IBM, etc). I am using Rackspace and trying to get a group discount for using them as a VistA ASP.
Name: Bob Olmedo

89. Revenue
===Grants ===
There are billions available in grant funding and we can send these out to our registered membership as a service. We can also offer grant writing as a service (there are grant writers out there that charge $5 - $10K).
Name: Bob Olmedo

90. Revenue
===License Qualified & Preferred Vendors===
Description: Establish a royalty or licensing agreement for vendors to be listed as preferred solution providers.
Name: Peter Bodtke

91. Revenue
===Stratware* - WorldVistA Grant Application Support for non-profit healthcare providers===

Description:

Sample grant applications that follow the Foundation Center format will be developed/gathered and made freely available to assist US non-profit healthcare providers and those in other countries that might qualify to obtain funding from US foundations for their technical infrastructure that will include WorldVistA.

A database of all foundation grants made to date for health care technology projects will be developed to allow non-profits to research and locate funders whose interests meet their funding needs. (I have the start of such a database already based on research at the Foundation Center in spreadsheet format – all 939 grants since 2000 for healthcare and technology are categorized and represented.)

*note:Stratware, short for "Strategy Wares" are management consulting products that are not code, not documentation, not training, but rather presentations, project plans, grant application templates, and other deliverables which can be used to accomplish a successful implementation.
Benefits provided:
* US non-profit healthcare organizations and those that qualify in other countries will get the funding they need to implement state of the art technology that includes WorldVistA, resulting in improved service delivery and operations.
* Funders will begin to identify WorldVistA funding applications as ones that deliver cost effective benefits with low-risk projects.
* WorldVistA will accelerate adoption of its solutions in this important sector.

Name: George Lilly

92. Revenue

===WorldVistA Business Development ===
Create a business development group. Contact VAR's (Value Added Resellers).
Name: Bob Olmedo

93. Tools

===Program Execution Simulator ===
Description:

Give it a MUMPS routine as a starting point, and it simulates the execution.

1. Diagnose bugs e.g. an undefined variable would be traced back to where the variable was last set or killed.

2. Give it integrity constraints e.g. the variable A is a number, and the program execuation simulator stops when the integrity constraint is first violated, the source of the problem.

3. Test live programs without changing live globals – all global changes are simulated only.

4. Make sure all code is tested – tells you what lines were never executed and logical paths to get to them to test them.

5. Improve efficiency e.g. variables set to the same value repeatedly in a loop.

6. Diagnose infinite loops – tells you the range of code being executed and the FOR or GOTO that repeats.

7. Tells you the net result of a subroutine (writes, global sets, local variables passed) to create documentation.

8. Reruns using the input entered at reads to repeat tests after you make changes to the MUMPS routines.

Name: Charles Volkstorf

94. Tools

===Intelligent Database of VISTA Global and Routine Documentation ===
Description: Allows you to:

1. Print Global documentation for any given global.

2. Describes what is at a given global, subscript and piece.

3. Lists the globals that contain a given field.

4. Finds a field based on knowing a given value e.g. “Blue Cross” or its format.

5. List all places (routine, tag, offset) where a given field is used, set, read, edited, deleted.

Name: Charles Volkstorf

95. Tools

===Mailman email encryption using a widely accepted standard ===
Purpose: To allow transmission of patient related information securely via email between VistA and other medical record system and between providers and patients
Name: Nancy Anthracite

96. Tools
===Patch stream updating system ===
Description: As WorldVistA is now the steward of the WorldVistA EHR code a system needs to be designed to incorporate enhancements from the VA and the VistA community. The process requires an evaluation step, integration and testing. Finally, the system requires stable equipment to host the resources.
Name: Peter Bodtke

97. Tools
===Server data "Save As"... ===
Description: i.e. ability to export site-specific data, for import into another installation. This would make VistA analogous to Word, which could open, close, transfer, share etc. data sets.
• Better installation and configuration tools
• Enable CPRS to run on Linux
Kevin Toppenberg

98. Vitals
===Additional Vitals Measurements===
Description: Need Head Circumference, Need Fundal height, (See IHS vitals)
Name: Matthew King

99. Vitals
===Vital Signs Enhancement and Standardization ===
Description: Gather and then try to standardize new vital signs needed. Contacting the VA to see if they are following any standard other then their own, finding out about IHS measurement file, and finding out what others are needed in the community, then harmonizing them all to make something suitable, hopefully for all but maybe just for WV-EHR
Name: Nancy Anthracite

Projects

2007-07-20T15:53:25Z

Forummgr: /* Program Execution Simulator */

Below find the unedited and unprioritized project idea submissions. The project is in process and open for new submissions. This iteration of project submissions will close on 07/06/2006.

== Projects ==
Welcome to the WorldVistA "Brainstorming" Projects Page
The Projects page is the working directory of WorldVistA project ideas. All project concept are welcome - new and old.

== The Process ==
1. Project ideas and description will be collected and published on this page.

2. High-level benefit analysis will be applied.

3. Suggestions will be reviewed, prioritized and endorsed by the WorldVistA leadership.

4. Funding will be sought and teams will be organized for projects that are determined to be of high value and show promise of successful completion.

== Brainstorming Rules: ==
1. Offer and collect as many ideas as possible.

2. All ideas are valuable, the more the better. One crazy idea spawns three rational ideas.

3. Don't spend time discussing details during brainstorming phase. Ideas submitted will be analyzed and deconstructed at length later...

4. Do not be critical of ideas, it stifles the process and make creative thinkers go back into the box.

5. Build on other ideas. Linking one idea to another is powerful.

6. Capture all ideas and make them visible.

7. Set a time limit. This iteration closes on 07/06/2007.

== Project Details requested ==
Please supply the following:
* Project title
* Brief description
* Benefit provided
* Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
* Email address (optional)
* link to projects.worldvista.org Project page if exists

(If you would rather submit your project ideas via email -- send them to webmaster@members.worldvista.org with the subject line: WorldVistA Projects)
Please add your project suggestion(s) here:

== List of Projects ==
1. Billing
===Billing Interfaces ===
Description: Interfaces with various billing services that can be made open source built and donated to the open source community. Pooling of resources may allow several practices to fund the construction of the interface that would be made available to all who wish to use it. Also, perhaps the billing companies could be persuaded to help defray the costs of development or be convinced to accept the current output from VistA.
Benefit Provided: Easier adoption of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

2. Billing
===Interface between FreeB and VistA ===
Description: FreeB is open source billing software written by Fred Trotter. Funding and help is needed to complete and interface between FreeB and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

3. Billing
===WorldVistA open source billing solutions===
Description: Software to support HIPAA compliant transactions using WorldVistA HL7 data will be developed and made freely available to provide standardized billing solutions for WorldVistA users. An open source Clearing House* solution will be developed for those users who wish to band together to share expenses and billing expertise by centralizing their billing transaction processing. Variants of the HIPAA transactions will be provided that accommodate the differences imposed by all the US state Medicaid programs and Medicare.
*note: “Clearing House” is defined as a “Covered Entity” in the US HIPAA regulations, which specify the rules for their operations. WorldVistA has the opportunity to standardize how they operate technically by providing a supported open source solution.
Benefit provided:
Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished populations elsewhere in the world.
1. Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

4. Billing
===GUI Cashiering and Billing===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to take charges and allow cashiers to apply cash/check, credit/debit card, charity/discounts, and dues, in addition to billing portions if applicable to corporate or insurance (with exclusions, co-payments, etc)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

5. Communications
===Add abstract/index and improve naming conventions for software on SourceForge===
Name: (anonymous)

6. Communications
===Press Kit===
Description: An information / press kit needed with key articles, links to demos, etc.
Name: (anonymous)

7. Communications
===Combine and edit SourceForge sites ===
Consolidate SourceForge resources (VOE project, WorldVistA EHR, WorldVistA, and VistAOutreach)
Name: (anonymous)

8. Communications
===Marketing and Public Relations ===
Build a press release contact database that spans from an international level to a grass roots level.
Name: Peter Bodtke

9. Communications
===Newsletter ===
I know that there are several groups, including Ignacio's, but the WV needs a marketing venue.
Name: Bob Olmedo

10. Communications
===Newsletter Topics ===
Description: There should be a newsletter of activities
Name: Dee Knapp and Ignacio Valdes

11. Communications
===WorldVistA EHR / VOE FAQs need to be updated
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

12. Communications
===WorldVistA.org links to software need to be edited
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

13. Community
===Community surveys===
Members skills and needs, adopter registry, and integrators registry
Name: Peter Bodtke

14. Community
===Interview groups that are using VistA ===
Contact groups that are using VistA in their clinics and interview them to gather information on what their experience. Build a reference list from this group and also add them to the User Directory.
Name: Bob Olmedo

15. Community
===New Organizations, MDC (new) and VDC (even newer) ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

16. Community
===OpenForum ===
(not sure what this project team had in mind)
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

17. Community
===User Directory Registration ===
Description: a page where users can document who they are, what they are doing, lessons learned, contact info, etc.
Name: Bob Olmedo

18. CPRS
===CPRS - Clinical enhancements ===
Description: Extending CPRS to a more useful product, not only to include VA omissions necessary for non-VA use (as I understand WV is already doing, like billing and pediatrics); but to make it more relevant and supportive for clinicians. For example, CPRS has no flow-sheeting capabilities; these would be useful in a variety of settings; but particularly for in-patient care. Also a way to help with major management issues; out-patient anticoagulation for example, or diabetes management, or childhood growth charts, etc. I have made some of these to add onto the Portland VA’s CPRS system, so could provide some screen shots, etc. In this vein, I would like to see a members section for clinicians as WV rolls out, to discuss and prioritize enhancements to the product. The VA is slow to respond to these needs, WV should be more receptive, perhaps developing and testing in cycles to correspond to certification (which if I remember correctly, it was every 3 years), so that the product could grow and remain certified. Also, as you get more experienced with certification, you might get a feel for what minor enhancements can be made between cycles.
I originally thought these changes would (or could) be done by the venders, but both the certification issue, and the ability to make these changes available to the whole subscription base (as well as a source of revenue), it might be better to be part of WV operation. If WV develops a team of programmers to do this, and to respond quickly to these needs, the product will be untouchable in the marketplace. The VA cannot do this due to their complex bureaucratic structure.
• Benefit provided
• Better product
• Source of revenue
• Marketing tool; customers (especially the early adopters) will have input into product’s features.
Name: Robert Felder

19. CPRS
===CPRS Enhancement ===
Description: Now that we have had to modify CPRS in order to pass CCHIT, it has made it practical to consider further enhancements to CPRS. The drawback is that they will need to be maintained which may be expensive in time and money. George Welch and Kevin Toppenberg have been working on this
Benefit: Improved functionality for CPRS
Name: Nancy Anthracite

20. CPRS
===CPRS for Linux ===
Description: Getting CPRS written with Borland Delphi running on Wine for Linux. Kevin Toppenberg is currently working on this with the Codeweavers helping with the wine end. Kevin is incorporating TFireFox to replace TWebBrowser to help.
Benefit Provided: Much lower cost for deployment of VistA particularly in developing countries.

21. CPRS
===Enhancing CPRS===
Description: Enhancing CPRS including working with providers and the system architect to decide what enhancements should be made/incorporated in the WV EHR gold standard CPRS and which might be optional for local modifications. This includes developing a method for maintaining and integrating these enhancements with future versions of CPRS from the VA. We have recently had an increase in the number of volunteers interested in working on CPRS so that this project has a much improved chance of success.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

22. Data Exchange / Elder care
===VistA for Nursing Homes ===
Description: There is a new MDS and data collection instrument coming out of CMS. This would integrate the data collection for those things necessary into the work flow of VistA so the separate tools are not needed to provide this functionality
Benefit: Nursing Homes are poorly funded and could use the increased safety, etc., that could be provided by VistA. Integrating this functionality into VistA could increase the ease of adoption. Nursing homes usually need to purchase this software. Better they utilize VistA with the additional capabilities it has instead.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

23. Data Exchange / ePerscribing
===ePrescribing===
Description: ePrescribing is being aggressively promoted by CMS and almost all large insurers due to proven cost-containment results, following the standards set forth by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). This project pursues the provision of ePrescribing capabilities to VistA, which entails online-access to ePrescribing networks from a central service which in turn provides VistA-users with eligibility and drug-coverage (formularies) information, medication histories and all other ePrescribing requirements. ePrescribing requires that we implement a central ePrescribing "gateway" service with access to RxHUB, SureScripts, drug-information databases, formularies, etc. for VistA / WorldVistA EHR users to access since ePrescribing networks do NOT provide access to individual EHR installations. To make this service available inside VistA may require that we extend CPRS (possibly through an extension/module similar to how VistA-Imaging does in the VA). This could also require that interfaces be instituted so prescriptions can be stored in each prescriber's system (as if originating from VistA's built-in Orders and Results.) The service would be provided through WorldVistA.
Benefit provided: ePrescribing is touted as the first step for wide-spread adoption of EHRs, so the project extends VistA into ePrescribing and quickly provides WorldVistA with a source of recurring revenue. The project dismisses any VistA-adoption-hesitation or negative-comments which result from lack of "modern-EHR" capabilities. Provide ePrescribing at a lower cost than current ePrescribing players currently in the market. Potentially could even be used to provide ePrescribing-capabilities to other smaller EHR-vendors.
Name: Richie Piovanetti

24. Data Exchange
===Ambulatory Care Data Capture ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

25. Data Exchange
===Biosense for VistA ===
Description: CDC has a program to collect real time data to support recognition of epidemics and terrorist attacks
Benefit: Provide nationwide, opt-in reporting capability to increase the ability of the CDC to pick up a problem. Also, to provide the same capability to the states that are taking an interest in doing their own statewide surveillance and for those world-wide who might like to do the same.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

26. Data Exchange
===Genomics Project===
Description: Prepare VistA to take in Genomic Data for patients.
Benefit: This data will soon be something that patients have for use in helping to make treatment decisions as well as for research. Research companies and universities are looking at WV EHR as a place to gather the date from their research subjects for subsequent analysis and for the necessary record keeping.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

27. Data Exchange
===Interoperable health data exchange===
Description: In the futuristic movie Demolition Man, the only restaurant was Taco Bell. In our experience, we are seeing that Epic is looking to be the Taco Bell of electronic health records. One of the key issues we have faced with potential clients of the VistA is interoperability with local hospitals and providers who are using Epic and other EHRs. We can establish agreements to provide access to patient health data to local emergency rooms and hospitals using the read only functionality. We can’t, conversely, electronically access patient data of care rendered from other proprietary EHRs for continuity of care purposes. We need to establish a mechanism for health data exchange, including a master patient index and clinical data warehouse. Benefit provided: Continuity of care, data standardization
Name: Khadijah Rashada

28. Data Exchange
===Transport of Medical and Health Records ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

29. Documentation
===Vista Functional Specification===
Description: This is a functional description of exactly what the vista software system does. It is written in Business executive and doctor administrator language, not programmer or hacker language. The description should include normal operation and degraded and failure modes.
Benefit provided: Vista has attracted medical professionals who also happen to be computer geeks. It cannot attract hardheaded business types who make corporate decisions and weigh business alternatives unless it has a clear and complete description that can be compared with alternatives, can permit tabulation of financial advantages and can have business values attached to each capability. As a second benefit, a functional specification will no doubt expose deficiencies in Vista that should be corrected.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

30. Education
===Develop educational materials / training materials / books===
Name: Peter Bodtke

31. Education
===Develop training CD's ===
[Note: we are using a product called TurboDemo to create training CD's for our members.(DW]
Name: Bob Olmedo

32. Education
===Documentation - VistA for Dummies. ===
Description: I think, we as technical people, assume the abilities of who is doing this.
Name: Bob Olmedo

33. Education
===Skype - use this tool as a support line. ===
Description: For example, we travel all over Palm Beach County. My users have Skype accounts; we all have wireless cards, so when our users need us (wherever we are) they can ask for help. This same setup can be used to support users that can purchase a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze support contract from WV (with volunteers on line). Does anyone know who owns the Skype account "WorldVistA"? (PB)
Name: Bob Olmedo

34. Education
===Test Data===
Description: Design and create a solid data set of health records for use in training and demonstration. Record set should cover a period of at least three years. Ability to age data is desired. Records could be created programmatically or as a distributed manual group effort. There are commercial and educational stakeholders that are very interested in this project.
Benefit provided: Provide a realistic and reasonably wide spectrum set of test records to the growing population of VistA users.

35. Education
===Training Ideas - Tools, Teachers, and Techniques ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

36. Education
===VistA Demo Appliance V1.2 ===
(next iteration, including "VistA link", Vitals, Patient Registration GUI)
Name: Peter Bodtke

37. Education
===VistA Documentation Repository ===
Description: Design, develop and moderate a VistA and WorldVistA E.H.R. documentation repository. Such a repository could be a collection of reference materials and practical guides for users and developers. The design and implantation would exceed the value of the Veterans Administration’s “VistA Documentation Library” (VDL) or there would be no need for this repository. The materials ideally would be reviewed for accuracy and quality before publication. An index of URL could be prepared for material is published on the Internet which is not available for inclusion in this proposed repository. Collaboration with the current major repositories (VDL, HUI, etc.) would need to be partnered with to make this a successful project.
Benefits: Provide a single source of accurate and reviewed information. Create a single starting point for all adopter, implementers, students, developers, venders, consultants, evaluators, etc.
Name: Peter Bodtke

38. Education
===VistA Education Server ===
Description: Demo installations of VistA offered to Universities for Education. Mock patient data and may be entered, etc. Server to be hosted by Hewlett Packard beginning June 26, 2006.
Benefit: Colleges have multiple uses for a training EMR from class simulations to demonstrations of the functionality of medical record systems. It will also raise the awareness of this open source record system.

39. Education
===WebEx courses ===
I bought a 10 user unlimited WebEx account for $39.95/mo. and I'm using it to provide weekly classes that 10 users can register for. You can charge $25 a class - good return on the investment.
Name: Bob Olmedo

40. Education
===Wiki Expansion===
Description: Expand scope of Wiki to cover informatics topics that are not (obviously) VistA-specific
Benefit provided: Much of the material on the Wiki today is narrowly focused on VistA applications, APIs and such. It is understandable to want to keep the scope of the Wiki narrowly focused, but there are problems with being too narrowly focused. For example, important topics of general interest to the community (network administration, data modeling and database design, programming topics, ontologies, interface design, etc., are either not included at all or (more likely) treated incompletely with information scattered throughout the Wiki where it is difficult to find. Restructuring the Wiki and encouraging a more systematic treatment of informatics topics could enhance its usefulness.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

41. Framework / Architecture
===Demographic and Insurance Information Improvement Project ===
Description: Identifying and creating an appropriate place for all of the data that various types of practices need to collect for demographics and insurance and trying to reach a consensus as to where everything should be mapped to.
Benefit: Increase ease of adoption and use for everyone interested in VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

42. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v2 enhancements ===
Description: Provide an expanded framework for HL7v2 development
Benefit provided: VistA HL7 focuses primarily on message transport, providing only minimal support to developers. In this sense, it is more analogous to an MTA like sendmail or qmail to a development framework. Although it is possible to off-load quite a bit of work to an interface engine (like Mirth), not everyone will be able to (or want to) use the same product, and even then development work is still required on the VistA end when creating new interfaces. Areas for improvement include better message parsing and generation capabilities, more HL7 knowledge, support for entire transactions (not just individual messages), the ability to auto-generate the relatively large amount of repetitive code that has to be crafted by hand today (or, as an alternative, a run-time processing engine), template capabilities and more support for database integration.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

43. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v3 ===
Description: Develop an implementation of HL7 version 3
Benefit provided: At present, VistA only supports HL7 v 2.x. That has worked well for the way HL is used now, but factors such as scale, interoperability, and new developments in medicine are likely to make adoption of v3 increasingly important. Even now, the CDA (and therefore the CCD) is v3 based.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

44. Framework / Architecture
===Next steps in standardization ===
Description: Develop a set of semantically driven tools for developing standards based interfaces
Benefit provided: At present, standards such as HL7 are supported through ad hoc mechanisms, such as developing message based interfaces that are product specific and closely tied to specific use cases or scenarios. There is very little support for generic tools, much less a framework to support semantically driven interface development. This project would develop tools and techniques that will reduce the amount of effort that must be expended on repetitive (and non-reusable) tasks through development of appropriate tools. A second aspect of the project (and they cannot really be separated) is developing a suitable language for describing concrete realizations of standards. Current work is generally hobbled by the lack of general concepts and tools, wit the result that projects become labor intensive and error prone, essentially starting from the beginning with each new project
Name: Greg Woodhouse

45. Framework / Architecture
===Ontologies and how VistA fits in with them. ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson (David Whitten and Greg Woodhouse also interested)

46. Framework / Architecture
===Open Source Lab Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and collectively creating lab interfaces to be used with Mirth for those la
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively or done by volunteers
Name: Nancy Anthracite

47. Framework / Architecture
===Scaleable interoperability and portability ===
Description: Develop a viable alternative to the current namespace framework
Benefit provided: The current framework of allocating 2-4 character namespaces and corresponding number spaces to each project and adopter does not scale well to a world where VistA is widely adopted (and leads to less than transparent code). We need a new framework, one that can grow with VistA while maintaining backward compatibility.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

48. Framework / Architecture
===Spread Sheet/Flow Sheet capability for VistA ===
Description: The VA is working to include this is VistA. It may be some time before it is ready and we could use it now. Hopefully we could accomplish this without stepping on what they are doing
Benefit: Allowing improved functionality for VistA in several areas, especially in ICU, OB, and long term care
Name: Nancy Anthracite

49. Framework / Architecture
===Update the race and ethnicity file according to standards===
Description: Enhance the current race and ethnicity file with a standards based file that makes sense from a medically and takes into consideration making changes in the future as the science advances.
Benefit: The race an ethnicity file has virtually no medically beneficial elements to it at this time. It more closely tracks political designations than those that might be helpful for the patient and the providers. ASTM and perhaps HL7 are both tackling this in a way that should help with this and, in my opinion, enhancing the system with one of these standards is needed. As genomics advances, we should be advancing with it.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

50. GUI / All
===GUI Interface===
Description: All new development projects should be done with GUI interfaces. Existing roll & scroll interfaces should be converted to GUI interfaces as-soon-as possible
Benefit Provided: GUI Interfaces will help WorldVistA better compete with commercial EMR applications and help WorldVistA gain more market share. It is also better for the end-user physicians and their staffs.
Name: Ed Salvador

51. GUI / All
===GUI Rest of VistA===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the rest of VistA is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

52. GUI / Labs
===GUI Laboratory===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Laboratory module is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

53. GUI / Patient Portal
===Patient Portal===
Description Bring the MyHealtheVet functionality to WorldVistA EHR
• Obtain electronic copies of key portions of their electronic health records
• Have confidence that their health information is stored in a secure and private web environment
• Add structured medical information
• Track personal health metrics, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, heart rate, and cholesterol
• Access a Health Education Library and health assessment tools
• Grant access to all or some of their health information to others, such as family other healthcare providers
• Send and receive electronic communication between patient and provider
Benefit provided
• Patient has electronic access clinical data as well as provider interaction
• Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
Name: Khadijah Rashada

54. GUI / Pharmacy
===GUI Pharmacy Module===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Pharmacy module is GUI. Allows for example OP medication orders to print prescription and drug labels immediately upon the doctor's order verification in the hospital Pharmacy (for tablets and liquids, for example, not for injections) so that the drugs are prepared and ready when the patient comes to the Pharmacy. These are all English-only; Arabic is not required. (In fact, accreditation requires documentation be in one language; and as most of the staff are expatriates throughout the region, English is the common language.)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

55. GUI / Practice Management
===Open Source Practice Management Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and perhaps collectively hiring folks to make interfaces with practice management systems that will allow the interface to be open source
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively
Name: Nancy Anthracite

56. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Interface between Fred Trotter's open source scheduling software and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

57. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Completion of the scheduling GUI started by George Welch written in Delphi.
Name: George Welch, Nancy Anthracite

58. GUI / Registration
===GUI Registration and Pre-Registration===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to register patients and their visits (IP or OP), pre-register (such as for appointments or IP visit if needed), including where relevant payer (such as patient self-pay or selecting a particular corporate account or insurance policy).
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

59. GUI / Scheduling
===GUI Scheduling===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to schedule appointments for patients (such as for X-Ray or Clinic or Physiotherapy visit); with type of appointment determining amount of time needed, which doctor or resource provides that service, etc; allowing patients to select among multiple doctors along with various scheduling criteria such as mornings or Wednesdays.
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

60. Imaging
===VistA Document Management===
Description: Take the real VistA imaging rename it to VistA Document Management and remove all references to FDA approval, ensure Dr. Dayhoff understands that the system will not be used for diagnosis, but rather document management, record management and capturing pictures of patients as needed.
Benefit provided : This is one of the critical areas that has been successfully addressed by the VOE. Driving towards a paperless offices can only be accommodated it the office has a path to get rid of the paper, using VistA imaging is a great solution.
Name: Jim Pietila

61. Implementation
===Configuration and Installation ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

62. Implementation
===Develop a self installing CD for WV EHR for both Cache and GT.M ===
Name: Bob Olmedo

63. Implementation
===Installers (WorldVistA EHR VOE w/Registration GUI, VistA/G.TM/Linux) ===
Description: Develop a suite of installers/set-up files, to assist in copying VistA, WorldVistA EHR files and clients to servers and desktops. This is a multiple stage development effort. First step - define installer types/classes (production, educational, demonstration), standardize deployment directories, learning installer tools and records clean-up (VistA). Second step - design and develop basic GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations, establish large scale resource hosting. Third step - design and develop advance GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations and provide administrative support interfaces for tasks such as journaling management and database back-up.
Name: Peter Bodtke

64. Integration
===LabCorp Interface ===
Description: Working with LabCorp to make their interface for VistA with the VA generally available. Benefits: Very fast hookups to LabCorp anywhere in the US Status: A programmer is working on making it easy to import the LabCorp Compendium into VistA and to take in unsolicited results. This will be an HL7 interface NOT utilizing Mirth because it is already virtually completely built to interface with VistA as is.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

65. Internationalization
===Achieve United Nations NGO status ===
Description: complete any outstanding tasks or application steps to achieve recognized United Nations Non-governmental Organization status. Below are the published requirements:
What are the Criteria for NGOs to become associated with DPI?
The NGO must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the UN and have a clear mission statement that is consistent with those principles;
• The NGO must be recognized nationally or internationally;
• The NGO should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
• The NGO must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes, with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities;
• The NGO should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
• The NGO should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centres/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
• The NGO should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified, independent accountant;
• The NGO should have statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of making decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Benefits: Raise the status and credibility of WorldVistA on an international level. NGO status will hopefully open doors to foreign governments and provide opportunities to collaborate with the World Health Organization.
Name: Peter Bodtke

66. Internationalization
===I18N (Internationalization) - Issues and Answers ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

67. Internationalization
===Internationalization ===
Description: Provide language, date, currency, and support resources for non-English speaking users, both domestic and international. This would include an interface translation process for VistA and WorldVistA EHR systems, client interface translations, documentation translation, and organize a team of foreign language speakers to communicate with and support non-English speaking users.
Benefit: Extend the reach of VistA and WorldVistA user population. Provide an affordable electronic health care to emerging countries.
Name: Peter Bodtke
(support foreign languages, i.e. Spanish)
Name: Kevin Toppenberg
Multiple language support (I am working on this)

68. Internationalization
===Postal Codes for non-US countries ===
Description: Developing a Method for handling the Postal Code files considering that non-US countries have other systems. This project is well underway and being tested. More testers welcome.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

69. Market Place
===International Vendor Services===
Description: Setup a large capacity training/implementation/help-desk capability for VistA for global deployment.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

70. Market Place
===EHR Market Place===
Medikin’s EHR marketplace is an economic catalyst* that will accelerate WorldVistA adoption by:
- enabling EHR solution buyers to find vendors with proven expertise
- providing vendors with unique opportunities to prove their expertise
- exposing buyers of other EHRs to WorldVistA’s disruptive value proposition
Key benefits to the WorldVistA organization:
- adoption
- demand
- exposure
- valuable information (for policymaking)
Key benefits to WorldVistA solution buyers:
- lower cost
- predictable results
reduced risk
- unique predictive, comparative data re vendors
- simple RFP submission process
- access to comprehensive database of vendors
Key benefits to WorldVistA vendors:
- jobs
- leads
- exposure
- networking contacts
- free advertising
-advertising income
-enhanced business profile
Economic catalyst. An entity that (a) serves two or more groups; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) who can't capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-creating reactions between them.
Excerpted (with paraphrase) from http://catalystcode.com/thebook/chapter1.php
The two groups being brought together in this case are the buyers and sellers of EHR solutions. Obviously they need each other to fulfill their objectives, but without an effective marketplace to catalyze their interactions, the numerous functional benefits of the marketplace which drive adoption are on a best efforts basis.
Name: Daniel Herschlag

71. Market Place
===Web-site advertising board ===
(generates revenue) $100/month (or what you decide) for a consultant to post their availability, this could be part of membership dues to be able to access this site, the person that hires the consultant can fill a "How did he do?" form that can help maintain the quality of service and consultants that are provided.
Name: Bob Olmedo

72. Module / Acupuncture & Chiropractic
===CAM Enhancements to VistA - Chiropractic & Acupuncture Modules ===
Description: For VistA to remain at the forefront of EHR systems, it needs to encompass Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modules. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Patients are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) in order to enhance their health and well-being. CAM includes acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, use of herbal remedies and other practices as an augmentation to more conventional medical treatments. The marketplace reflects this growing acceptance of complementary medicine by many patients and a small, but growing number of health care providers. By gathering and integrating health care information associated with the application of CAM procedures into a patient's electronic health record (EHR), more accurate measurement of outcomes can be generated. Best practices can then emerge showing which complementary medical practices are most effective when coupled with conventional medical treatments of specific disorders.
In a recent report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States (2005), the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention states that the total visits to CAM providers exceed total visits to all primary-care physicians. Out-of-pocket costs for CAM are estimated to exceed $27 billion, which shows that CAM is now big business. That does not include those therapies or treatments covered by insurance. Hospitals, managed care plans, and conventional practitioners are now incorporating CAM therapies into their practices. Medical schools, nursing schools, and schools of pharmacy are teaching their students about CAM.
It's hard to get an exact handle on the market for CAM, however, according to a recent article published on the Investors.Com web site, consumers snapped up about $54 billion worth of CAM services and dietary supplements in 2003. Of that figure, they claim that $34 billion went to all types of alternative services such as chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy and massage therapy, up from $25.5 billion in 1999. The U.S. market for dietary supplements isn't far behind, generating sales of $19.8 billion in 2003, up from $16.5 billion in 1999.
Benefit provided - It will enhance the capabilities and reputation of VistA in the world marketplace. It will include modules of CAM practices/treatment that patients and provider organizations are embracing whole heartedly. It will capture patient care information that is not being captured. It will allow providers to generate more revenue by charging for these CAM treatments. I suggest starting with the chiropractic and acupuncture modules.
Name: Peter Groen

73. Module / Acupuncture
===Acupuncture Support additions to VistA===
Description: Provide support for acupuncture practitioners in VistA Benefit: Acupuncture is being added to some traditional medical settings and there is a growing need to provide support for gathering data for care and research for those providers and their patients.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

74. Module / Chiropractic
===Chiropractic Support additions to VistA===
Description: Research and develop the additions to VistA that will support the practice of chiropractics
Benefit: Chiropractics is being incorporated into many traditional medical practices and a need to provide for those practitioners is growing.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

75. Module / Mental Health
===Mental Health Assistant ===
Description: Mental Health Assistant does not currently fully function with VistA. It will take a little more work to get everything working properly and it may mean waiting for the next iteration to be released in the future. However, we are making progress.
Benefits: Mental Health Assistant provides for the administration and scoring of Mental Health tests both by staff and by patients. This has become particularly important because public mental health hospitals and programs are taking a big interest in using VistA and because of the push to have the public sector help to support the returning veterans with PTSD
Name: Nancy Anthracite

76. Module / Portal
===WorldVistA Zimbra Integration===
Description: Integration of WorldVistA with the Zimbra HIPAA secure open source collaboration suite to synchronize messaging, users, patients, and calendars. Zimbra users will be able to schedule patient/client appointments which will automatically be reflected in the WorldVistA database, supporting the creation of clinical records at the time of the visit and effecting timely billing associated with the healthcare provided. This integration will allow all authorized personnel of healthcare providers and social service organizations, even those whose workforce is dispersed, to use local and remote HIPAA secure email and electronic patient scheduling
Benefits provided: Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished population elsewhere in the world.
Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

77. Module / PTSD
===Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Developments and Impacts ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

78. OB-GYN
===OB flow sheets (ACOG style) ===
Description: OB Flow sheets- See ACOG (American College of OB) paper charts: These are the standard. Apparently, in the VA, there are some Nursing Flow Sheets for ICU. These might be adaptable. Otherwise, you could pull data from the patient record and build it using XML and a Web server, like the approach they are taking for the Peds charts.
Name: Matthew King

79. OB-GYN
===OB-GYN project ===
Description: OB-GYN enhancements for VistA including Hollister like flow charts
Name: Nancy Anthracite

80. Organizational Design
===Organization Growth framework===
Description: We do need a structure and a process to spread VistA to its true potential. Many people, with diverse skills and experience will have to be involved. A similar situation exists with Open Source ERP/CRM, Compiere. I have a dated web site ( www.leo-systems.com), which deals with Compiere, learning it, implementation and training. It covers :
An ERP implementation is a complex project with several inter dependent activities, performed by many people, from various departments, who may be at several locations and often have different hidden agendas!
To improve your chances of success good project planning and effective project management are a MUST. We strongly recommend that you follow a suitable process. Many Consulting Organizations like Price Water House, Deloitte, and ERP Vendors, like SAP (ASAP), or Oracle (AIM) have their own implementation methodologies, based upon the way they work and are structured.
For Compiere, Leo Systems has put together this draft Implementation framework . It is based upon over three decades of experience in developing and implementing large custom developed and application packages, like in SAP, Oracle and Siebel. A spreadsheet has been provided to help estimate the role-wise hours required for the various tasks. We will also be making a MS Project Template. As your projects start, we would like feedback so the framework can be fine tuned, and metrics for Project Planning can be collected. This will help, in the spirit of Open Source to share your experience and help others who follow.
• The Process <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/process.htm>
• The Roles <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/roles.htm>
• The Process-Role Matrix <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/matrix.htm>
• Project Planning Spreadsheet <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/spreadsheet.htm>
• Structured Role based approach to learning Compiere <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/register/introduction/structured_learning.htm>
I would be interested in a project to develop a suitable structure using our experience form the above for VistA. Incidentally Open Source Compiere, or its forks, OpenBravo and Adempiere, which support multi-languages and currencies may also be good platforms to develop the missing links to commercial competition to VistA. A world, standardized on one Open Source system, VistA would be a good place to live in vs the babel of closed source (expensive) solutions which do not talk to each other.
I am also working on a framework UDoIT which helps in the management consulting, organization/process/workflow documentation (As-Is and To-Be), which should be a prelude to an implementation of VistA. It may be a big help to document the clinical processes of VA which have been implemented in VistA, to facilitate re-engineering the work flows built into VistA, to meet the localization needs of different clients, environments and countries. I expect 50-80% of the processes would be common across the world. A common base would also help WorldVistA from forking. I personally am confused with the various versions and variants. This will become a nightmare with no one single code base for future development.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

81. Pediatrics
===Pediatrics Project ===
Description: To implement the suggestions of the HL7 Pediatric SIG and others for improving Pediatrics for VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

82. Pediatrics
===Pediatric Growth Charts for VistA ===
Description; Integration of the ability to display, initially the CDC growth charts, but eventually WHO and growth charts for diverse ethnicities and world locations in VistA
Benefits: Needed by pediatricians everywhere. CDC level capability needed for CCHIT certification.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

83. Pediatrics
===Peds Growth Charts ===
Description: Peds Growth Charts and expansion of vitals package to include OB and Peds parameters Name: Matthew King

84. Pharmacy
===Prescription Autofinish===
Description: Use Microsoft Windows Printers. Reconfigure prescription autofinish to pipe data to windows printer instead of VistA drivers. This is dependent upon the version MUMPS used (Cache or GT.M)

85. Pharmacy
===True Fax functionality ===
Description: Fax service in autofinish nearly unusable. The Pharmacy Directory should be maintained in the windows fax software, so non-techies at each site can maintain their own lists.
Name: Matthew King

86. Repository
===Template, Reminder and Object Repository ===
Description: A source and hopefully some sort of rating system to point out the best of the best templates and objects for VistA
Benefit: Improved functionality for all users of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

87. Repository
===Vista Software Archive===
Description: This is an official version of Vista that is deposited with a software archiving organization.
Benefit provided: Business managers will be unlikely to approve the use of Vista in their organization if they feel that it
could change or disappear tomorrow leaving them out on a limb. An archived version would be always available even if the
present vista organization changes direction of gives up support.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

88. Revenue
===Corporate support ===
Leverage the CCHIT to contact different companies (Dell, IBM, etc). I am using Rackspace and trying to get a group discount for using them as a VistA ASP.
Name: Bob Olmedo

89. Revenue
===Grants ===
There are billions available in grant funding and we can send these out to our registered membership as a service. We can also offer grant writing as a service (there are grant writers out there that charge $5 - $10K).
Name: Bob Olmedo

90. Revenue
===License Qualified & Preferred Vendors===
Description: Establish a royalty or licensing agreement for vendors to be listed as preferred solution providers.
Name: Peter Bodtke

91. Revenue
===Stratware* - WorldVistA Grant Application Support for non-profit healthcare providers===

Description:

Sample grant applications that follow the Foundation Center format will be developed/gathered and made freely available to assist US non-profit healthcare providers and those in other countries that might qualify to obtain funding from US foundations for their technical infrastructure that will include WorldVistA.

A database of all foundation grants made to date for health care technology projects will be developed to allow non-profits to research and locate funders whose interests meet their funding needs. (I have the start of such a database already based on research at the Foundation Center in spreadsheet format – all 939 grants since 2000 for healthcare and technology are categorized and represented.)

*note:Stratware, short for "Strategy Wares" are management consulting products that are not code, not documentation, not training, but rather presentations, project plans, grant application templates, and other deliverables which can be used to accomplish a successful implementation.
Benefits provided:
* US non-profit healthcare organizations and those that qualify in other countries will get the funding they need to implement state of the art technology that includes WorldVistA, resulting in improved service delivery and operations.
* Funders will begin to identify WorldVistA funding applications as ones that deliver cost effective benefits with low-risk projects.
* WorldVistA will accelerate adoption of its solutions in this important sector.

Name: George Lilly

92. Revenue

===WorldVistA Business Development ===
Create a business development group. Contact VAR's (Value Added Resellers).
Name: Bob Olmedo

93. Tools

===Program Execution Simulator ===
Description:

Give it a MUMPS routine as a starting point, and it simulates the execution.

1. Diagnose bugs e.g. an undefined variable would be traced back to where the variable was last set or killed.

2. Give it integrity constraints e.g. the variable A is a number, and the program execuation simulator stops when the integrity constraint is first violated, the source of the problem.

3. Test live programs without changing live globals – all global changes are simulated only.

4. Make sure all code is tested – tells you what lines were never executed and logical paths to get to them to test them.

5. Improve efficiency e.g. variables set to the same value repeatedly in a loop.

6. Diagnose infinite loops – tells you the range of code being executed and the FOR or GOTO that repeats.

7. Tells you the net result of a subroutine (writes, global sets, local variables passed) to create documentation.

8. Reruns using the input entered at reads to repeat tests after you make changes to the MUMPS routines.

Name: Charles Volkstorf

94. Tools

===Intelligent Database of VISTA Global and Routine Documentation ===
Description: Allows you to:
1. Print Global documentation for any given global.
2. Describes what is at a given global, subscript and piece.
3. Lists the globals that contain a given field.
4. Finds a field based on knowing a given value e.g. “Blue Cross” or its format.
5. List all places (routine, tag, offset) where a given field is used, set, read, edited, deleted.
Name: Charles Volkstorf

95. Tools
===Mailman email encryption using a widely accepted standard ===
Purpose: To allow transmission of patient related information securely via email between VistA and other medical record system and between providers and patients
Name: Nancy Anthracite

96. Tools
===Patch stream updating system ===
Description: As WorldVistA is now the steward of the WorldVistA EHR code a system needs to be designed to incorporate enhancements from the VA and the VistA community. The process requires an evaluation step, integration and testing. Finally, the system requires stable equipment to host the resources.
Name: Peter Bodtke

97. Tools
===Server data "Save As"... ===
Description: i.e. ability to export site-specific data, for import into another installation. This would make VistA analogous to Word, which could open, close, transfer, share etc. data sets.
• Better installation and configuration tools
• Enable CPRS to run on Linux
Kevin Toppenberg

98. Vitals
===Additional Vitals Measurements===
Description: Need Head Circumference, Need Fundal height, (See IHS vitals)
Name: Matthew King

99. Vitals
===Vital Signs Enhancement and Standardization ===
Description: Gather and then try to standardize new vital signs needed. Contacting the VA to see if they are following any standard other then their own, finding out about IHS measurement file, and finding out what others are needed in the community, then harmonizing them all to make something suitable, hopefully for all but maybe just for WV-EHR
Name: Nancy Anthracite

Projects

2007-07-20T15:51:07Z

Forummgr: /* WorldVistA Business Development */

Below find the unedited and unprioritized project idea submissions. The project is in process and open for new submissions. This iteration of project submissions will close on 07/06/2006.

== Projects ==
Welcome to the WorldVistA "Brainstorming" Projects Page
The Projects page is the working directory of WorldVistA project ideas. All project concept are welcome - new and old.

== The Process ==
1. Project ideas and description will be collected and published on this page.

2. High-level benefit analysis will be applied.

3. Suggestions will be reviewed, prioritized and endorsed by the WorldVistA leadership.

4. Funding will be sought and teams will be organized for projects that are determined to be of high value and show promise of successful completion.

== Brainstorming Rules: ==
1. Offer and collect as many ideas as possible.

2. All ideas are valuable, the more the better. One crazy idea spawns three rational ideas.

3. Don't spend time discussing details during brainstorming phase. Ideas submitted will be analyzed and deconstructed at length later...

4. Do not be critical of ideas, it stifles the process and make creative thinkers go back into the box.

5. Build on other ideas. Linking one idea to another is powerful.

6. Capture all ideas and make them visible.

7. Set a time limit. This iteration closes on 07/06/2007.

== Project Details requested ==
Please supply the following:
* Project title
* Brief description
* Benefit provided
* Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
* Email address (optional)
* link to projects.worldvista.org Project page if exists

(If you would rather submit your project ideas via email -- send them to webmaster@members.worldvista.org with the subject line: WorldVistA Projects)
Please add your project suggestion(s) here:

== List of Projects ==
1. Billing
===Billing Interfaces ===
Description: Interfaces with various billing services that can be made open source built and donated to the open source community. Pooling of resources may allow several practices to fund the construction of the interface that would be made available to all who wish to use it. Also, perhaps the billing companies could be persuaded to help defray the costs of development or be convinced to accept the current output from VistA.
Benefit Provided: Easier adoption of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

2. Billing
===Interface between FreeB and VistA ===
Description: FreeB is open source billing software written by Fred Trotter. Funding and help is needed to complete and interface between FreeB and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

3. Billing
===WorldVistA open source billing solutions===
Description: Software to support HIPAA compliant transactions using WorldVistA HL7 data will be developed and made freely available to provide standardized billing solutions for WorldVistA users. An open source Clearing House* solution will be developed for those users who wish to band together to share expenses and billing expertise by centralizing their billing transaction processing. Variants of the HIPAA transactions will be provided that accommodate the differences imposed by all the US state Medicaid programs and Medicare.
*note: “Clearing House” is defined as a “Covered Entity” in the US HIPAA regulations, which specify the rules for their operations. WorldVistA has the opportunity to standardize how they operate technically by providing a supported open source solution.
Benefit provided:
Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished populations elsewhere in the world.
1. Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

4. Billing
===GUI Cashiering and Billing===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to take charges and allow cashiers to apply cash/check, credit/debit card, charity/discounts, and dues, in addition to billing portions if applicable to corporate or insurance (with exclusions, co-payments, etc)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

5. Communications
===Add abstract/index and improve naming conventions for software on SourceForge===
Name: (anonymous)

6. Communications
===Press Kit===
Description: An information / press kit needed with key articles, links to demos, etc.
Name: (anonymous)

7. Communications
===Combine and edit SourceForge sites ===
Consolidate SourceForge resources (VOE project, WorldVistA EHR, WorldVistA, and VistAOutreach)
Name: (anonymous)

8. Communications
===Marketing and Public Relations ===
Build a press release contact database that spans from an international level to a grass roots level.
Name: Peter Bodtke

9. Communications
===Newsletter ===
I know that there are several groups, including Ignacio's, but the WV needs a marketing venue.
Name: Bob Olmedo

10. Communications
===Newsletter Topics ===
Description: There should be a newsletter of activities
Name: Dee Knapp and Ignacio Valdes

11. Communications
===WorldVistA EHR / VOE FAQs need to be updated
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

12. Communications
===WorldVistA.org links to software need to be edited
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

13. Community
===Community surveys===
Members skills and needs, adopter registry, and integrators registry
Name: Peter Bodtke

14. Community
===Interview groups that are using VistA ===
Contact groups that are using VistA in their clinics and interview them to gather information on what their experience. Build a reference list from this group and also add them to the User Directory.
Name: Bob Olmedo

15. Community
===New Organizations, MDC (new) and VDC (even newer) ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

16. Community
===OpenForum ===
(not sure what this project team had in mind)
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

17. Community
===User Directory Registration ===
Description: a page where users can document who they are, what they are doing, lessons learned, contact info, etc.
Name: Bob Olmedo

18. CPRS
===CPRS - Clinical enhancements ===
Description: Extending CPRS to a more useful product, not only to include VA omissions necessary for non-VA use (as I understand WV is already doing, like billing and pediatrics); but to make it more relevant and supportive for clinicians. For example, CPRS has no flow-sheeting capabilities; these would be useful in a variety of settings; but particularly for in-patient care. Also a way to help with major management issues; out-patient anticoagulation for example, or diabetes management, or childhood growth charts, etc. I have made some of these to add onto the Portland VA’s CPRS system, so could provide some screen shots, etc. In this vein, I would like to see a members section for clinicians as WV rolls out, to discuss and prioritize enhancements to the product. The VA is slow to respond to these needs, WV should be more receptive, perhaps developing and testing in cycles to correspond to certification (which if I remember correctly, it was every 3 years), so that the product could grow and remain certified. Also, as you get more experienced with certification, you might get a feel for what minor enhancements can be made between cycles.
I originally thought these changes would (or could) be done by the venders, but both the certification issue, and the ability to make these changes available to the whole subscription base (as well as a source of revenue), it might be better to be part of WV operation. If WV develops a team of programmers to do this, and to respond quickly to these needs, the product will be untouchable in the marketplace. The VA cannot do this due to their complex bureaucratic structure.
• Benefit provided
• Better product
• Source of revenue
• Marketing tool; customers (especially the early adopters) will have input into product’s features.
Name: Robert Felder

19. CPRS
===CPRS Enhancement ===
Description: Now that we have had to modify CPRS in order to pass CCHIT, it has made it practical to consider further enhancements to CPRS. The drawback is that they will need to be maintained which may be expensive in time and money. George Welch and Kevin Toppenberg have been working on this
Benefit: Improved functionality for CPRS
Name: Nancy Anthracite

20. CPRS
===CPRS for Linux ===
Description: Getting CPRS written with Borland Delphi running on Wine for Linux. Kevin Toppenberg is currently working on this with the Codeweavers helping with the wine end. Kevin is incorporating TFireFox to replace TWebBrowser to help.
Benefit Provided: Much lower cost for deployment of VistA particularly in developing countries.

21. CPRS
===Enhancing CPRS===
Description: Enhancing CPRS including working with providers and the system architect to decide what enhancements should be made/incorporated in the WV EHR gold standard CPRS and which might be optional for local modifications. This includes developing a method for maintaining and integrating these enhancements with future versions of CPRS from the VA. We have recently had an increase in the number of volunteers interested in working on CPRS so that this project has a much improved chance of success.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

22. Data Exchange / Elder care
===VistA for Nursing Homes ===
Description: There is a new MDS and data collection instrument coming out of CMS. This would integrate the data collection for those things necessary into the work flow of VistA so the separate tools are not needed to provide this functionality
Benefit: Nursing Homes are poorly funded and could use the increased safety, etc., that could be provided by VistA. Integrating this functionality into VistA could increase the ease of adoption. Nursing homes usually need to purchase this software. Better they utilize VistA with the additional capabilities it has instead.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

23. Data Exchange / ePerscribing
===ePrescribing===
Description: ePrescribing is being aggressively promoted by CMS and almost all large insurers due to proven cost-containment results, following the standards set forth by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). This project pursues the provision of ePrescribing capabilities to VistA, which entails online-access to ePrescribing networks from a central service which in turn provides VistA-users with eligibility and drug-coverage (formularies) information, medication histories and all other ePrescribing requirements. ePrescribing requires that we implement a central ePrescribing "gateway" service with access to RxHUB, SureScripts, drug-information databases, formularies, etc. for VistA / WorldVistA EHR users to access since ePrescribing networks do NOT provide access to individual EHR installations. To make this service available inside VistA may require that we extend CPRS (possibly through an extension/module similar to how VistA-Imaging does in the VA). This could also require that interfaces be instituted so prescriptions can be stored in each prescriber's system (as if originating from VistA's built-in Orders and Results.) The service would be provided through WorldVistA.
Benefit provided: ePrescribing is touted as the first step for wide-spread adoption of EHRs, so the project extends VistA into ePrescribing and quickly provides WorldVistA with a source of recurring revenue. The project dismisses any VistA-adoption-hesitation or negative-comments which result from lack of "modern-EHR" capabilities. Provide ePrescribing at a lower cost than current ePrescribing players currently in the market. Potentially could even be used to provide ePrescribing-capabilities to other smaller EHR-vendors.
Name: Richie Piovanetti

24. Data Exchange
===Ambulatory Care Data Capture ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

25. Data Exchange
===Biosense for VistA ===
Description: CDC has a program to collect real time data to support recognition of epidemics and terrorist attacks
Benefit: Provide nationwide, opt-in reporting capability to increase the ability of the CDC to pick up a problem. Also, to provide the same capability to the states that are taking an interest in doing their own statewide surveillance and for those world-wide who might like to do the same.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

26. Data Exchange
===Genomics Project===
Description: Prepare VistA to take in Genomic Data for patients.
Benefit: This data will soon be something that patients have for use in helping to make treatment decisions as well as for research. Research companies and universities are looking at WV EHR as a place to gather the date from their research subjects for subsequent analysis and for the necessary record keeping.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

27. Data Exchange
===Interoperable health data exchange===
Description: In the futuristic movie Demolition Man, the only restaurant was Taco Bell. In our experience, we are seeing that Epic is looking to be the Taco Bell of electronic health records. One of the key issues we have faced with potential clients of the VistA is interoperability with local hospitals and providers who are using Epic and other EHRs. We can establish agreements to provide access to patient health data to local emergency rooms and hospitals using the read only functionality. We can’t, conversely, electronically access patient data of care rendered from other proprietary EHRs for continuity of care purposes. We need to establish a mechanism for health data exchange, including a master patient index and clinical data warehouse. Benefit provided: Continuity of care, data standardization
Name: Khadijah Rashada

28. Data Exchange
===Transport of Medical and Health Records ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

29. Documentation
===Vista Functional Specification===
Description: This is a functional description of exactly what the vista software system does. It is written in Business executive and doctor administrator language, not programmer or hacker language. The description should include normal operation and degraded and failure modes.
Benefit provided: Vista has attracted medical professionals who also happen to be computer geeks. It cannot attract hardheaded business types who make corporate decisions and weigh business alternatives unless it has a clear and complete description that can be compared with alternatives, can permit tabulation of financial advantages and can have business values attached to each capability. As a second benefit, a functional specification will no doubt expose deficiencies in Vista that should be corrected.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

30. Education
===Develop educational materials / training materials / books===
Name: Peter Bodtke

31. Education
===Develop training CD's ===
[Note: we are using a product called TurboDemo to create training CD's for our members.(DW]
Name: Bob Olmedo

32. Education
===Documentation - VistA for Dummies. ===
Description: I think, we as technical people, assume the abilities of who is doing this.
Name: Bob Olmedo

33. Education
===Skype - use this tool as a support line. ===
Description: For example, we travel all over Palm Beach County. My users have Skype accounts; we all have wireless cards, so when our users need us (wherever we are) they can ask for help. This same setup can be used to support users that can purchase a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze support contract from WV (with volunteers on line). Does anyone know who owns the Skype account "WorldVistA"? (PB)
Name: Bob Olmedo

34. Education
===Test Data===
Description: Design and create a solid data set of health records for use in training and demonstration. Record set should cover a period of at least three years. Ability to age data is desired. Records could be created programmatically or as a distributed manual group effort. There are commercial and educational stakeholders that are very interested in this project.
Benefit provided: Provide a realistic and reasonably wide spectrum set of test records to the growing population of VistA users.

35. Education
===Training Ideas - Tools, Teachers, and Techniques ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

36. Education
===VistA Demo Appliance V1.2 ===
(next iteration, including "VistA link", Vitals, Patient Registration GUI)
Name: Peter Bodtke

37. Education
===VistA Documentation Repository ===
Description: Design, develop and moderate a VistA and WorldVistA E.H.R. documentation repository. Such a repository could be a collection of reference materials and practical guides for users and developers. The design and implantation would exceed the value of the Veterans Administration’s “VistA Documentation Library” (VDL) or there would be no need for this repository. The materials ideally would be reviewed for accuracy and quality before publication. An index of URL could be prepared for material is published on the Internet which is not available for inclusion in this proposed repository. Collaboration with the current major repositories (VDL, HUI, etc.) would need to be partnered with to make this a successful project.
Benefits: Provide a single source of accurate and reviewed information. Create a single starting point for all adopter, implementers, students, developers, venders, consultants, evaluators, etc.
Name: Peter Bodtke

38. Education
===VistA Education Server ===
Description: Demo installations of VistA offered to Universities for Education. Mock patient data and may be entered, etc. Server to be hosted by Hewlett Packard beginning June 26, 2006.
Benefit: Colleges have multiple uses for a training EMR from class simulations to demonstrations of the functionality of medical record systems. It will also raise the awareness of this open source record system.

39. Education
===WebEx courses ===
I bought a 10 user unlimited WebEx account for $39.95/mo. and I'm using it to provide weekly classes that 10 users can register for. You can charge $25 a class - good return on the investment.
Name: Bob Olmedo

40. Education
===Wiki Expansion===
Description: Expand scope of Wiki to cover informatics topics that are not (obviously) VistA-specific
Benefit provided: Much of the material on the Wiki today is narrowly focused on VistA applications, APIs and such. It is understandable to want to keep the scope of the Wiki narrowly focused, but there are problems with being too narrowly focused. For example, important topics of general interest to the community (network administration, data modeling and database design, programming topics, ontologies, interface design, etc., are either not included at all or (more likely) treated incompletely with information scattered throughout the Wiki where it is difficult to find. Restructuring the Wiki and encouraging a more systematic treatment of informatics topics could enhance its usefulness.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

41. Framework / Architecture
===Demographic and Insurance Information Improvement Project ===
Description: Identifying and creating an appropriate place for all of the data that various types of practices need to collect for demographics and insurance and trying to reach a consensus as to where everything should be mapped to.
Benefit: Increase ease of adoption and use for everyone interested in VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

42. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v2 enhancements ===
Description: Provide an expanded framework for HL7v2 development
Benefit provided: VistA HL7 focuses primarily on message transport, providing only minimal support to developers. In this sense, it is more analogous to an MTA like sendmail or qmail to a development framework. Although it is possible to off-load quite a bit of work to an interface engine (like Mirth), not everyone will be able to (or want to) use the same product, and even then development work is still required on the VistA end when creating new interfaces. Areas for improvement include better message parsing and generation capabilities, more HL7 knowledge, support for entire transactions (not just individual messages), the ability to auto-generate the relatively large amount of repetitive code that has to be crafted by hand today (or, as an alternative, a run-time processing engine), template capabilities and more support for database integration.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

43. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v3 ===
Description: Develop an implementation of HL7 version 3
Benefit provided: At present, VistA only supports HL7 v 2.x. That has worked well for the way HL is used now, but factors such as scale, interoperability, and new developments in medicine are likely to make adoption of v3 increasingly important. Even now, the CDA (and therefore the CCD) is v3 based.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

44. Framework / Architecture
===Next steps in standardization ===
Description: Develop a set of semantically driven tools for developing standards based interfaces
Benefit provided: At present, standards such as HL7 are supported through ad hoc mechanisms, such as developing message based interfaces that are product specific and closely tied to specific use cases or scenarios. There is very little support for generic tools, much less a framework to support semantically driven interface development. This project would develop tools and techniques that will reduce the amount of effort that must be expended on repetitive (and non-reusable) tasks through development of appropriate tools. A second aspect of the project (and they cannot really be separated) is developing a suitable language for describing concrete realizations of standards. Current work is generally hobbled by the lack of general concepts and tools, wit the result that projects become labor intensive and error prone, essentially starting from the beginning with each new project
Name: Greg Woodhouse

45. Framework / Architecture
===Ontologies and how VistA fits in with them. ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson (David Whitten and Greg Woodhouse also interested)

46. Framework / Architecture
===Open Source Lab Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and collectively creating lab interfaces to be used with Mirth for those la
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively or done by volunteers
Name: Nancy Anthracite

47. Framework / Architecture
===Scaleable interoperability and portability ===
Description: Develop a viable alternative to the current namespace framework
Benefit provided: The current framework of allocating 2-4 character namespaces and corresponding number spaces to each project and adopter does not scale well to a world where VistA is widely adopted (and leads to less than transparent code). We need a new framework, one that can grow with VistA while maintaining backward compatibility.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

48. Framework / Architecture
===Spread Sheet/Flow Sheet capability for VistA ===
Description: The VA is working to include this is VistA. It may be some time before it is ready and we could use it now. Hopefully we could accomplish this without stepping on what they are doing
Benefit: Allowing improved functionality for VistA in several areas, especially in ICU, OB, and long term care
Name: Nancy Anthracite

49. Framework / Architecture
===Update the race and ethnicity file according to standards===
Description: Enhance the current race and ethnicity file with a standards based file that makes sense from a medically and takes into consideration making changes in the future as the science advances.
Benefit: The race an ethnicity file has virtually no medically beneficial elements to it at this time. It more closely tracks political designations than those that might be helpful for the patient and the providers. ASTM and perhaps HL7 are both tackling this in a way that should help with this and, in my opinion, enhancing the system with one of these standards is needed. As genomics advances, we should be advancing with it.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

50. GUI / All
===GUI Interface===
Description: All new development projects should be done with GUI interfaces. Existing roll & scroll interfaces should be converted to GUI interfaces as-soon-as possible
Benefit Provided: GUI Interfaces will help WorldVistA better compete with commercial EMR applications and help WorldVistA gain more market share. It is also better for the end-user physicians and their staffs.
Name: Ed Salvador

51. GUI / All
===GUI Rest of VistA===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the rest of VistA is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

52. GUI / Labs
===GUI Laboratory===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Laboratory module is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

53. GUI / Patient Portal
===Patient Portal===
Description Bring the MyHealtheVet functionality to WorldVistA EHR
• Obtain electronic copies of key portions of their electronic health records
• Have confidence that their health information is stored in a secure and private web environment
• Add structured medical information
• Track personal health metrics, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, heart rate, and cholesterol
• Access a Health Education Library and health assessment tools
• Grant access to all or some of their health information to others, such as family other healthcare providers
• Send and receive electronic communication between patient and provider
Benefit provided
• Patient has electronic access clinical data as well as provider interaction
• Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
Name: Khadijah Rashada

54. GUI / Pharmacy
===GUI Pharmacy Module===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Pharmacy module is GUI. Allows for example OP medication orders to print prescription and drug labels immediately upon the doctor's order verification in the hospital Pharmacy (for tablets and liquids, for example, not for injections) so that the drugs are prepared and ready when the patient comes to the Pharmacy. These are all English-only; Arabic is not required. (In fact, accreditation requires documentation be in one language; and as most of the staff are expatriates throughout the region, English is the common language.)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

55. GUI / Practice Management
===Open Source Practice Management Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and perhaps collectively hiring folks to make interfaces with practice management systems that will allow the interface to be open source
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively
Name: Nancy Anthracite

56. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Interface between Fred Trotter's open source scheduling software and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

57. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Completion of the scheduling GUI started by George Welch written in Delphi.
Name: George Welch, Nancy Anthracite

58. GUI / Registration
===GUI Registration and Pre-Registration===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to register patients and their visits (IP or OP), pre-register (such as for appointments or IP visit if needed), including where relevant payer (such as patient self-pay or selecting a particular corporate account or insurance policy).
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

59. GUI / Scheduling
===GUI Scheduling===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to schedule appointments for patients (such as for X-Ray or Clinic or Physiotherapy visit); with type of appointment determining amount of time needed, which doctor or resource provides that service, etc; allowing patients to select among multiple doctors along with various scheduling criteria such as mornings or Wednesdays.
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

60. Imaging
===VistA Document Management===
Description: Take the real VistA imaging rename it to VistA Document Management and remove all references to FDA approval, ensure Dr. Dayhoff understands that the system will not be used for diagnosis, but rather document management, record management and capturing pictures of patients as needed.
Benefit provided : This is one of the critical areas that has been successfully addressed by the VOE. Driving towards a paperless offices can only be accommodated it the office has a path to get rid of the paper, using VistA imaging is a great solution.
Name: Jim Pietila

61. Implementation
===Configuration and Installation ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

62. Implementation
===Develop a self installing CD for WV EHR for both Cache and GT.M ===
Name: Bob Olmedo

63. Implementation
===Installers (WorldVistA EHR VOE w/Registration GUI, VistA/G.TM/Linux) ===
Description: Develop a suite of installers/set-up files, to assist in copying VistA, WorldVistA EHR files and clients to servers and desktops. This is a multiple stage development effort. First step - define installer types/classes (production, educational, demonstration), standardize deployment directories, learning installer tools and records clean-up (VistA). Second step - design and develop basic GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations, establish large scale resource hosting. Third step - design and develop advance GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations and provide administrative support interfaces for tasks such as journaling management and database back-up.
Name: Peter Bodtke

64. Integration
===LabCorp Interface ===
Description: Working with LabCorp to make their interface for VistA with the VA generally available. Benefits: Very fast hookups to LabCorp anywhere in the US Status: A programmer is working on making it easy to import the LabCorp Compendium into VistA and to take in unsolicited results. This will be an HL7 interface NOT utilizing Mirth because it is already virtually completely built to interface with VistA as is.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

65. Internationalization
===Achieve United Nations NGO status ===
Description: complete any outstanding tasks or application steps to achieve recognized United Nations Non-governmental Organization status. Below are the published requirements:
What are the Criteria for NGOs to become associated with DPI?
The NGO must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the UN and have a clear mission statement that is consistent with those principles;
• The NGO must be recognized nationally or internationally;
• The NGO should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
• The NGO must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes, with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities;
• The NGO should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
• The NGO should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centres/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
• The NGO should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified, independent accountant;
• The NGO should have statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of making decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Benefits: Raise the status and credibility of WorldVistA on an international level. NGO status will hopefully open doors to foreign governments and provide opportunities to collaborate with the World Health Organization.
Name: Peter Bodtke

66. Internationalization
===I18N (Internationalization) - Issues and Answers ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

67. Internationalization
===Internationalization ===
Description: Provide language, date, currency, and support resources for non-English speaking users, both domestic and international. This would include an interface translation process for VistA and WorldVistA EHR systems, client interface translations, documentation translation, and organize a team of foreign language speakers to communicate with and support non-English speaking users.
Benefit: Extend the reach of VistA and WorldVistA user population. Provide an affordable electronic health care to emerging countries.
Name: Peter Bodtke
(support foreign languages, i.e. Spanish)
Name: Kevin Toppenberg
Multiple language support (I am working on this)

68. Internationalization
===Postal Codes for non-US countries ===
Description: Developing a Method for handling the Postal Code files considering that non-US countries have other systems. This project is well underway and being tested. More testers welcome.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

69. Market Place
===International Vendor Services===
Description: Setup a large capacity training/implementation/help-desk capability for VistA for global deployment.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

70. Market Place
===EHR Market Place===
Medikin’s EHR marketplace is an economic catalyst* that will accelerate WorldVistA adoption by:
- enabling EHR solution buyers to find vendors with proven expertise
- providing vendors with unique opportunities to prove their expertise
- exposing buyers of other EHRs to WorldVistA’s disruptive value proposition
Key benefits to the WorldVistA organization:
- adoption
- demand
- exposure
- valuable information (for policymaking)
Key benefits to WorldVistA solution buyers:
- lower cost
- predictable results
reduced risk
- unique predictive, comparative data re vendors
- simple RFP submission process
- access to comprehensive database of vendors
Key benefits to WorldVistA vendors:
- jobs
- leads
- exposure
- networking contacts
- free advertising
-advertising income
-enhanced business profile
Economic catalyst. An entity that (a) serves two or more groups; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) who can't capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-creating reactions between them.
Excerpted (with paraphrase) from http://catalystcode.com/thebook/chapter1.php
The two groups being brought together in this case are the buyers and sellers of EHR solutions. Obviously they need each other to fulfill their objectives, but without an effective marketplace to catalyze their interactions, the numerous functional benefits of the marketplace which drive adoption are on a best efforts basis.
Name: Daniel Herschlag

71. Market Place
===Web-site advertising board ===
(generates revenue) $100/month (or what you decide) for a consultant to post their availability, this could be part of membership dues to be able to access this site, the person that hires the consultant can fill a "How did he do?" form that can help maintain the quality of service and consultants that are provided.
Name: Bob Olmedo

72. Module / Acupuncture & Chiropractic
===CAM Enhancements to VistA - Chiropractic & Acupuncture Modules ===
Description: For VistA to remain at the forefront of EHR systems, it needs to encompass Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modules. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Patients are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) in order to enhance their health and well-being. CAM includes acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, use of herbal remedies and other practices as an augmentation to more conventional medical treatments. The marketplace reflects this growing acceptance of complementary medicine by many patients and a small, but growing number of health care providers. By gathering and integrating health care information associated with the application of CAM procedures into a patient's electronic health record (EHR), more accurate measurement of outcomes can be generated. Best practices can then emerge showing which complementary medical practices are most effective when coupled with conventional medical treatments of specific disorders.
In a recent report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States (2005), the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention states that the total visits to CAM providers exceed total visits to all primary-care physicians. Out-of-pocket costs for CAM are estimated to exceed $27 billion, which shows that CAM is now big business. That does not include those therapies or treatments covered by insurance. Hospitals, managed care plans, and conventional practitioners are now incorporating CAM therapies into their practices. Medical schools, nursing schools, and schools of pharmacy are teaching their students about CAM.
It's hard to get an exact handle on the market for CAM, however, according to a recent article published on the Investors.Com web site, consumers snapped up about $54 billion worth of CAM services and dietary supplements in 2003. Of that figure, they claim that $34 billion went to all types of alternative services such as chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy and massage therapy, up from $25.5 billion in 1999. The U.S. market for dietary supplements isn't far behind, generating sales of $19.8 billion in 2003, up from $16.5 billion in 1999.
Benefit provided - It will enhance the capabilities and reputation of VistA in the world marketplace. It will include modules of CAM practices/treatment that patients and provider organizations are embracing whole heartedly. It will capture patient care information that is not being captured. It will allow providers to generate more revenue by charging for these CAM treatments. I suggest starting with the chiropractic and acupuncture modules.
Name: Peter Groen

73. Module / Acupuncture
===Acupuncture Support additions to VistA===
Description: Provide support for acupuncture practitioners in VistA Benefit: Acupuncture is being added to some traditional medical settings and there is a growing need to provide support for gathering data for care and research for those providers and their patients.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

74. Module / Chiropractic
===Chiropractic Support additions to VistA===
Description: Research and develop the additions to VistA that will support the practice of chiropractics
Benefit: Chiropractics is being incorporated into many traditional medical practices and a need to provide for those practitioners is growing.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

75. Module / Mental Health
===Mental Health Assistant ===
Description: Mental Health Assistant does not currently fully function with VistA. It will take a little more work to get everything working properly and it may mean waiting for the next iteration to be released in the future. However, we are making progress.
Benefits: Mental Health Assistant provides for the administration and scoring of Mental Health tests both by staff and by patients. This has become particularly important because public mental health hospitals and programs are taking a big interest in using VistA and because of the push to have the public sector help to support the returning veterans with PTSD
Name: Nancy Anthracite

76. Module / Portal
===WorldVistA Zimbra Integration===
Description: Integration of WorldVistA with the Zimbra HIPAA secure open source collaboration suite to synchronize messaging, users, patients, and calendars. Zimbra users will be able to schedule patient/client appointments which will automatically be reflected in the WorldVistA database, supporting the creation of clinical records at the time of the visit and effecting timely billing associated with the healthcare provided. This integration will allow all authorized personnel of healthcare providers and social service organizations, even those whose workforce is dispersed, to use local and remote HIPAA secure email and electronic patient scheduling
Benefits provided: Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished population elsewhere in the world.
Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

77. Module / PTSD
===Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Developments and Impacts ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

78. OB-GYN
===OB flow sheets (ACOG style) ===
Description: OB Flow sheets- See ACOG (American College of OB) paper charts: These are the standard. Apparently, in the VA, there are some Nursing Flow Sheets for ICU. These might be adaptable. Otherwise, you could pull data from the patient record and build it using XML and a Web server, like the approach they are taking for the Peds charts.
Name: Matthew King

79. OB-GYN
===OB-GYN project ===
Description: OB-GYN enhancements for VistA including Hollister like flow charts
Name: Nancy Anthracite

80. Organizational Design
===Organization Growth framework===
Description: We do need a structure and a process to spread VistA to its true potential. Many people, with diverse skills and experience will have to be involved. A similar situation exists with Open Source ERP/CRM, Compiere. I have a dated web site ( www.leo-systems.com), which deals with Compiere, learning it, implementation and training. It covers :
An ERP implementation is a complex project with several inter dependent activities, performed by many people, from various departments, who may be at several locations and often have different hidden agendas!
To improve your chances of success good project planning and effective project management are a MUST. We strongly recommend that you follow a suitable process. Many Consulting Organizations like Price Water House, Deloitte, and ERP Vendors, like SAP (ASAP), or Oracle (AIM) have their own implementation methodologies, based upon the way they work and are structured.
For Compiere, Leo Systems has put together this draft Implementation framework . It is based upon over three decades of experience in developing and implementing large custom developed and application packages, like in SAP, Oracle and Siebel. A spreadsheet has been provided to help estimate the role-wise hours required for the various tasks. We will also be making a MS Project Template. As your projects start, we would like feedback so the framework can be fine tuned, and metrics for Project Planning can be collected. This will help, in the spirit of Open Source to share your experience and help others who follow.
• The Process <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/process.htm>
• The Roles <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/roles.htm>
• The Process-Role Matrix <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/matrix.htm>
• Project Planning Spreadsheet <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/spreadsheet.htm>
• Structured Role based approach to learning Compiere <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/register/introduction/structured_learning.htm>
I would be interested in a project to develop a suitable structure using our experience form the above for VistA. Incidentally Open Source Compiere, or its forks, OpenBravo and Adempiere, which support multi-languages and currencies may also be good platforms to develop the missing links to commercial competition to VistA. A world, standardized on one Open Source system, VistA would be a good place to live in vs the babel of closed source (expensive) solutions which do not talk to each other.
I am also working on a framework UDoIT which helps in the management consulting, organization/process/workflow documentation (As-Is and To-Be), which should be a prelude to an implementation of VistA. It may be a big help to document the clinical processes of VA which have been implemented in VistA, to facilitate re-engineering the work flows built into VistA, to meet the localization needs of different clients, environments and countries. I expect 50-80% of the processes would be common across the world. A common base would also help WorldVistA from forking. I personally am confused with the various versions and variants. This will become a nightmare with no one single code base for future development.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

81. Pediatrics
===Pediatrics Project ===
Description: To implement the suggestions of the HL7 Pediatric SIG and others for improving Pediatrics for VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

82. Pediatrics
===Pediatric Growth Charts for VistA ===
Description; Integration of the ability to display, initially the CDC growth charts, but eventually WHO and growth charts for diverse ethnicities and world locations in VistA
Benefits: Needed by pediatricians everywhere. CDC level capability needed for CCHIT certification.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

83. Pediatrics
===Peds Growth Charts ===
Description: Peds Growth Charts and expansion of vitals package to include OB and Peds parameters Name: Matthew King

84. Pharmacy
===Prescription Autofinish===
Description: Use Microsoft Windows Printers. Reconfigure prescription autofinish to pipe data to windows printer instead of VistA drivers. This is dependent upon the version MUMPS used (Cache or GT.M)

85. Pharmacy
===True Fax functionality ===
Description: Fax service in autofinish nearly unusable. The Pharmacy Directory should be maintained in the windows fax software, so non-techies at each site can maintain their own lists.
Name: Matthew King

86. Repository
===Template, Reminder and Object Repository ===
Description: A source and hopefully some sort of rating system to point out the best of the best templates and objects for VistA
Benefit: Improved functionality for all users of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

87. Repository
===Vista Software Archive===
Description: This is an official version of Vista that is deposited with a software archiving organization.
Benefit provided: Business managers will be unlikely to approve the use of Vista in their organization if they feel that it
could change or disappear tomorrow leaving them out on a limb. An archived version would be always available even if the
present vista organization changes direction of gives up support.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

88. Revenue
===Corporate support ===
Leverage the CCHIT to contact different companies (Dell, IBM, etc). I am using Rackspace and trying to get a group discount for using them as a VistA ASP.
Name: Bob Olmedo

89. Revenue
===Grants ===
There are billions available in grant funding and we can send these out to our registered membership as a service. We can also offer grant writing as a service (there are grant writers out there that charge $5 - $10K).
Name: Bob Olmedo

90. Revenue
===License Qualified & Preferred Vendors===
Description: Establish a royalty or licensing agreement for vendors to be listed as preferred solution providers.
Name: Peter Bodtke

91. Revenue
===Stratware* - WorldVistA Grant Application Support for non-profit healthcare providers===

Description:

Sample grant applications that follow the Foundation Center format will be developed/gathered and made freely available to assist US non-profit healthcare providers and those in other countries that might qualify to obtain funding from US foundations for their technical infrastructure that will include WorldVistA.

A database of all foundation grants made to date for health care technology projects will be developed to allow non-profits to research and locate funders whose interests meet their funding needs. (I have the start of such a database already based on research at the Foundation Center in spreadsheet format – all 939 grants since 2000 for healthcare and technology are categorized and represented.)

*note:Stratware, short for "Strategy Wares" are management consulting products that are not code, not documentation, not training, but rather presentations, project plans, grant application templates, and other deliverables which can be used to accomplish a successful implementation.
Benefits provided:
* US non-profit healthcare organizations and those that qualify in other countries will get the funding they need to implement state of the art technology that includes WorldVistA, resulting in improved service delivery and operations.
* Funders will begin to identify WorldVistA funding applications as ones that deliver cost effective benefits with low-risk projects.
* WorldVistA will accelerate adoption of its solutions in this important sector.

Name: George Lilly

92. Revenue

===WorldVistA Business Development ===
Create a business development group. Contact VAR's (Value Added Resellers).
Name: Bob Olmedo

93. Tools

===Program Execution Simulator ===
Description: Give it a MUMPS routine as a starting point, and it simulates the execution.
1. Diagnose bugs e.g. an undef would be traced back to where the variable was last set or killed.
2. Give it integrity constraints e.g. A is a number, and it stops when it is first violated, the source of the problem.
3. Test live programs without changing live globals – all global changes are simulated only.
4. Make sure all code is tested – tells you what lines were never executed and logical paths to get to them to test them.
5. Improve efficiency e.g. variables set to the same value repeatedly in a loop.
6. Diagnose infinite loops – tells you the range of code being executed and the FOR or GOTO that repeats.
7. Tells you the net result of a subroutine (writes, global sets, local variables passed) to create documentation.
8. Reruns using the input entered at reads to repeat tests after you make changes to the MUMPS routines.
Name: Charles Volkstorf

94. Tools
===Intelligent Database of VISTA Global and Routine Documentation ===
Description: Allows you to:
1. Print Global documentation for any given global.
2. Describes what is at a given global, subscript and piece.
3. Lists the globals that contain a given field.
4. Finds a field based on knowing a given value e.g. “Blue Cross” or its format.
5. List all places (routine, tag, offset) where a given field is used, set, read, edited, deleted.
Name: Charles Volkstorf

95. Tools
===Mailman email encryption using a widely accepted standard ===
Purpose: To allow transmission of patient related information securely via email between VistA and other medical record system and between providers and patients
Name: Nancy Anthracite

96. Tools
===Patch stream updating system ===
Description: As WorldVistA is now the steward of the WorldVistA EHR code a system needs to be designed to incorporate enhancements from the VA and the VistA community. The process requires an evaluation step, integration and testing. Finally, the system requires stable equipment to host the resources.
Name: Peter Bodtke

97. Tools
===Server data "Save As"... ===
Description: i.e. ability to export site-specific data, for import into another installation. This would make VistA analogous to Word, which could open, close, transfer, share etc. data sets.
• Better installation and configuration tools
• Enable CPRS to run on Linux
Kevin Toppenberg

98. Vitals
===Additional Vitals Measurements===
Description: Need Head Circumference, Need Fundal height, (See IHS vitals)
Name: Matthew King

99. Vitals
===Vital Signs Enhancement and Standardization ===
Description: Gather and then try to standardize new vital signs needed. Contacting the VA to see if they are following any standard other then their own, finding out about IHS measurement file, and finding out what others are needed in the community, then harmonizing them all to make something suitable, hopefully for all but maybe just for WV-EHR
Name: Nancy Anthracite

Projects

2007-07-20T15:50:24Z

Forummgr: /* Stratware* - WorldVistA Grant Application Support for non-profit healthcare providers */

Below find the unedited and unprioritized project idea submissions. The project is in process and open for new submissions. This iteration of project submissions will close on 07/06/2006.

== Projects ==
Welcome to the WorldVistA "Brainstorming" Projects Page
The Projects page is the working directory of WorldVistA project ideas. All project concept are welcome - new and old.

== The Process ==
1. Project ideas and description will be collected and published on this page.

2. High-level benefit analysis will be applied.

3. Suggestions will be reviewed, prioritized and endorsed by the WorldVistA leadership.

4. Funding will be sought and teams will be organized for projects that are determined to be of high value and show promise of successful completion.

== Brainstorming Rules: ==
1. Offer and collect as many ideas as possible.

2. All ideas are valuable, the more the better. One crazy idea spawns three rational ideas.

3. Don't spend time discussing details during brainstorming phase. Ideas submitted will be analyzed and deconstructed at length later...

4. Do not be critical of ideas, it stifles the process and make creative thinkers go back into the box.

5. Build on other ideas. Linking one idea to another is powerful.

6. Capture all ideas and make them visible.

7. Set a time limit. This iteration closes on 07/06/2007.

== Project Details requested ==
Please supply the following:
* Project title
* Brief description
* Benefit provided
* Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
* Email address (optional)
* link to projects.worldvista.org Project page if exists

(If you would rather submit your project ideas via email -- send them to webmaster@members.worldvista.org with the subject line: WorldVistA Projects)
Please add your project suggestion(s) here:

== List of Projects ==
1. Billing
===Billing Interfaces ===
Description: Interfaces with various billing services that can be made open source built and donated to the open source community. Pooling of resources may allow several practices to fund the construction of the interface that would be made available to all who wish to use it. Also, perhaps the billing companies could be persuaded to help defray the costs of development or be convinced to accept the current output from VistA.
Benefit Provided: Easier adoption of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

2. Billing
===Interface between FreeB and VistA ===
Description: FreeB is open source billing software written by Fred Trotter. Funding and help is needed to complete and interface between FreeB and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

3. Billing
===WorldVistA open source billing solutions===
Description: Software to support HIPAA compliant transactions using WorldVistA HL7 data will be developed and made freely available to provide standardized billing solutions for WorldVistA users. An open source Clearing House* solution will be developed for those users who wish to band together to share expenses and billing expertise by centralizing their billing transaction processing. Variants of the HIPAA transactions will be provided that accommodate the differences imposed by all the US state Medicaid programs and Medicare.
*note: “Clearing House” is defined as a “Covered Entity” in the US HIPAA regulations, which specify the rules for their operations. WorldVistA has the opportunity to standardize how they operate technically by providing a supported open source solution.
Benefit provided:
Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished populations elsewhere in the world.
1. Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

4. Billing
===GUI Cashiering and Billing===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to take charges and allow cashiers to apply cash/check, credit/debit card, charity/discounts, and dues, in addition to billing portions if applicable to corporate or insurance (with exclusions, co-payments, etc)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

5. Communications
===Add abstract/index and improve naming conventions for software on SourceForge===
Name: (anonymous)

6. Communications
===Press Kit===
Description: An information / press kit needed with key articles, links to demos, etc.
Name: (anonymous)

7. Communications
===Combine and edit SourceForge sites ===
Consolidate SourceForge resources (VOE project, WorldVistA EHR, WorldVistA, and VistAOutreach)
Name: (anonymous)

8. Communications
===Marketing and Public Relations ===
Build a press release contact database that spans from an international level to a grass roots level.
Name: Peter Bodtke

9. Communications
===Newsletter ===
I know that there are several groups, including Ignacio's, but the WV needs a marketing venue.
Name: Bob Olmedo

10. Communications
===Newsletter Topics ===
Description: There should be a newsletter of activities
Name: Dee Knapp and Ignacio Valdes

11. Communications
===WorldVistA EHR / VOE FAQs need to be updated
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

12. Communications
===WorldVistA.org links to software need to be edited
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

13. Community
===Community surveys===
Members skills and needs, adopter registry, and integrators registry
Name: Peter Bodtke

14. Community
===Interview groups that are using VistA ===
Contact groups that are using VistA in their clinics and interview them to gather information on what their experience. Build a reference list from this group and also add them to the User Directory.
Name: Bob Olmedo

15. Community
===New Organizations, MDC (new) and VDC (even newer) ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

16. Community
===OpenForum ===
(not sure what this project team had in mind)
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

17. Community
===User Directory Registration ===
Description: a page where users can document who they are, what they are doing, lessons learned, contact info, etc.
Name: Bob Olmedo

18. CPRS
===CPRS - Clinical enhancements ===
Description: Extending CPRS to a more useful product, not only to include VA omissions necessary for non-VA use (as I understand WV is already doing, like billing and pediatrics); but to make it more relevant and supportive for clinicians. For example, CPRS has no flow-sheeting capabilities; these would be useful in a variety of settings; but particularly for in-patient care. Also a way to help with major management issues; out-patient anticoagulation for example, or diabetes management, or childhood growth charts, etc. I have made some of these to add onto the Portland VA’s CPRS system, so could provide some screen shots, etc. In this vein, I would like to see a members section for clinicians as WV rolls out, to discuss and prioritize enhancements to the product. The VA is slow to respond to these needs, WV should be more receptive, perhaps developing and testing in cycles to correspond to certification (which if I remember correctly, it was every 3 years), so that the product could grow and remain certified. Also, as you get more experienced with certification, you might get a feel for what minor enhancements can be made between cycles.
I originally thought these changes would (or could) be done by the venders, but both the certification issue, and the ability to make these changes available to the whole subscription base (as well as a source of revenue), it might be better to be part of WV operation. If WV develops a team of programmers to do this, and to respond quickly to these needs, the product will be untouchable in the marketplace. The VA cannot do this due to their complex bureaucratic structure.
• Benefit provided
• Better product
• Source of revenue
• Marketing tool; customers (especially the early adopters) will have input into product’s features.
Name: Robert Felder

19. CPRS
===CPRS Enhancement ===
Description: Now that we have had to modify CPRS in order to pass CCHIT, it has made it practical to consider further enhancements to CPRS. The drawback is that they will need to be maintained which may be expensive in time and money. George Welch and Kevin Toppenberg have been working on this
Benefit: Improved functionality for CPRS
Name: Nancy Anthracite

20. CPRS
===CPRS for Linux ===
Description: Getting CPRS written with Borland Delphi running on Wine for Linux. Kevin Toppenberg is currently working on this with the Codeweavers helping with the wine end. Kevin is incorporating TFireFox to replace TWebBrowser to help.
Benefit Provided: Much lower cost for deployment of VistA particularly in developing countries.

21. CPRS
===Enhancing CPRS===
Description: Enhancing CPRS including working with providers and the system architect to decide what enhancements should be made/incorporated in the WV EHR gold standard CPRS and which might be optional for local modifications. This includes developing a method for maintaining and integrating these enhancements with future versions of CPRS from the VA. We have recently had an increase in the number of volunteers interested in working on CPRS so that this project has a much improved chance of success.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

22. Data Exchange / Elder care
===VistA for Nursing Homes ===
Description: There is a new MDS and data collection instrument coming out of CMS. This would integrate the data collection for those things necessary into the work flow of VistA so the separate tools are not needed to provide this functionality
Benefit: Nursing Homes are poorly funded and could use the increased safety, etc., that could be provided by VistA. Integrating this functionality into VistA could increase the ease of adoption. Nursing homes usually need to purchase this software. Better they utilize VistA with the additional capabilities it has instead.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

23. Data Exchange / ePerscribing
===ePrescribing===
Description: ePrescribing is being aggressively promoted by CMS and almost all large insurers due to proven cost-containment results, following the standards set forth by the Medicare Modernization Act (MMA). This project pursues the provision of ePrescribing capabilities to VistA, which entails online-access to ePrescribing networks from a central service which in turn provides VistA-users with eligibility and drug-coverage (formularies) information, medication histories and all other ePrescribing requirements. ePrescribing requires that we implement a central ePrescribing "gateway" service with access to RxHUB, SureScripts, drug-information databases, formularies, etc. for VistA / WorldVistA EHR users to access since ePrescribing networks do NOT provide access to individual EHR installations. To make this service available inside VistA may require that we extend CPRS (possibly through an extension/module similar to how VistA-Imaging does in the VA). This could also require that interfaces be instituted so prescriptions can be stored in each prescriber's system (as if originating from VistA's built-in Orders and Results.) The service would be provided through WorldVistA.
Benefit provided: ePrescribing is touted as the first step for wide-spread adoption of EHRs, so the project extends VistA into ePrescribing and quickly provides WorldVistA with a source of recurring revenue. The project dismisses any VistA-adoption-hesitation or negative-comments which result from lack of "modern-EHR" capabilities. Provide ePrescribing at a lower cost than current ePrescribing players currently in the market. Potentially could even be used to provide ePrescribing-capabilities to other smaller EHR-vendors.
Name: Richie Piovanetti

24. Data Exchange
===Ambulatory Care Data Capture ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

25. Data Exchange
===Biosense for VistA ===
Description: CDC has a program to collect real time data to support recognition of epidemics and terrorist attacks
Benefit: Provide nationwide, opt-in reporting capability to increase the ability of the CDC to pick up a problem. Also, to provide the same capability to the states that are taking an interest in doing their own statewide surveillance and for those world-wide who might like to do the same.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

26. Data Exchange
===Genomics Project===
Description: Prepare VistA to take in Genomic Data for patients.
Benefit: This data will soon be something that patients have for use in helping to make treatment decisions as well as for research. Research companies and universities are looking at WV EHR as a place to gather the date from their research subjects for subsequent analysis and for the necessary record keeping.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

27. Data Exchange
===Interoperable health data exchange===
Description: In the futuristic movie Demolition Man, the only restaurant was Taco Bell. In our experience, we are seeing that Epic is looking to be the Taco Bell of electronic health records. One of the key issues we have faced with potential clients of the VistA is interoperability with local hospitals and providers who are using Epic and other EHRs. We can establish agreements to provide access to patient health data to local emergency rooms and hospitals using the read only functionality. We can’t, conversely, electronically access patient data of care rendered from other proprietary EHRs for continuity of care purposes. We need to establish a mechanism for health data exchange, including a master patient index and clinical data warehouse. Benefit provided: Continuity of care, data standardization
Name: Khadijah Rashada

28. Data Exchange
===Transport of Medical and Health Records ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

29. Documentation
===Vista Functional Specification===
Description: This is a functional description of exactly what the vista software system does. It is written in Business executive and doctor administrator language, not programmer or hacker language. The description should include normal operation and degraded and failure modes.
Benefit provided: Vista has attracted medical professionals who also happen to be computer geeks. It cannot attract hardheaded business types who make corporate decisions and weigh business alternatives unless it has a clear and complete description that can be compared with alternatives, can permit tabulation of financial advantages and can have business values attached to each capability. As a second benefit, a functional specification will no doubt expose deficiencies in Vista that should be corrected.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

30. Education
===Develop educational materials / training materials / books===
Name: Peter Bodtke

31. Education
===Develop training CD's ===
[Note: we are using a product called TurboDemo to create training CD's for our members.(DW]
Name: Bob Olmedo

32. Education
===Documentation - VistA for Dummies. ===
Description: I think, we as technical people, assume the abilities of who is doing this.
Name: Bob Olmedo

33. Education
===Skype - use this tool as a support line. ===
Description: For example, we travel all over Palm Beach County. My users have Skype accounts; we all have wireless cards, so when our users need us (wherever we are) they can ask for help. This same setup can be used to support users that can purchase a Platinum, Gold, Silver or Bronze support contract from WV (with volunteers on line). Does anyone know who owns the Skype account "WorldVistA"? (PB)
Name: Bob Olmedo

34. Education
===Test Data===
Description: Design and create a solid data set of health records for use in training and demonstration. Record set should cover a period of at least three years. Ability to age data is desired. Records could be created programmatically or as a distributed manual group effort. There are commercial and educational stakeholders that are very interested in this project.
Benefit provided: Provide a realistic and reasonably wide spectrum set of test records to the growing population of VistA users.

35. Education
===Training Ideas - Tools, Teachers, and Techniques ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

36. Education
===VistA Demo Appliance V1.2 ===
(next iteration, including "VistA link", Vitals, Patient Registration GUI)
Name: Peter Bodtke

37. Education
===VistA Documentation Repository ===
Description: Design, develop and moderate a VistA and WorldVistA E.H.R. documentation repository. Such a repository could be a collection of reference materials and practical guides for users and developers. The design and implantation would exceed the value of the Veterans Administration’s “VistA Documentation Library” (VDL) or there would be no need for this repository. The materials ideally would be reviewed for accuracy and quality before publication. An index of URL could be prepared for material is published on the Internet which is not available for inclusion in this proposed repository. Collaboration with the current major repositories (VDL, HUI, etc.) would need to be partnered with to make this a successful project.
Benefits: Provide a single source of accurate and reviewed information. Create a single starting point for all adopter, implementers, students, developers, venders, consultants, evaluators, etc.
Name: Peter Bodtke

38. Education
===VistA Education Server ===
Description: Demo installations of VistA offered to Universities for Education. Mock patient data and may be entered, etc. Server to be hosted by Hewlett Packard beginning June 26, 2006.
Benefit: Colleges have multiple uses for a training EMR from class simulations to demonstrations of the functionality of medical record systems. It will also raise the awareness of this open source record system.

39. Education
===WebEx courses ===
I bought a 10 user unlimited WebEx account for $39.95/mo. and I'm using it to provide weekly classes that 10 users can register for. You can charge $25 a class - good return on the investment.
Name: Bob Olmedo

40. Education
===Wiki Expansion===
Description: Expand scope of Wiki to cover informatics topics that are not (obviously) VistA-specific
Benefit provided: Much of the material on the Wiki today is narrowly focused on VistA applications, APIs and such. It is understandable to want to keep the scope of the Wiki narrowly focused, but there are problems with being too narrowly focused. For example, important topics of general interest to the community (network administration, data modeling and database design, programming topics, ontologies, interface design, etc., are either not included at all or (more likely) treated incompletely with information scattered throughout the Wiki where it is difficult to find. Restructuring the Wiki and encouraging a more systematic treatment of informatics topics could enhance its usefulness.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

41. Framework / Architecture
===Demographic and Insurance Information Improvement Project ===
Description: Identifying and creating an appropriate place for all of the data that various types of practices need to collect for demographics and insurance and trying to reach a consensus as to where everything should be mapped to.
Benefit: Increase ease of adoption and use for everyone interested in VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

42. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v2 enhancements ===
Description: Provide an expanded framework for HL7v2 development
Benefit provided: VistA HL7 focuses primarily on message transport, providing only minimal support to developers. In this sense, it is more analogous to an MTA like sendmail or qmail to a development framework. Although it is possible to off-load quite a bit of work to an interface engine (like Mirth), not everyone will be able to (or want to) use the same product, and even then development work is still required on the VistA end when creating new interfaces. Areas for improvement include better message parsing and generation capabilities, more HL7 knowledge, support for entire transactions (not just individual messages), the ability to auto-generate the relatively large amount of repetitive code that has to be crafted by hand today (or, as an alternative, a run-time processing engine), template capabilities and more support for database integration.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

43. Framework / Architecture
===HL7v3 ===
Description: Develop an implementation of HL7 version 3
Benefit provided: At present, VistA only supports HL7 v 2.x. That has worked well for the way HL is used now, but factors such as scale, interoperability, and new developments in medicine are likely to make adoption of v3 increasingly important. Even now, the CDA (and therefore the CCD) is v3 based.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

44. Framework / Architecture
===Next steps in standardization ===
Description: Develop a set of semantically driven tools for developing standards based interfaces
Benefit provided: At present, standards such as HL7 are supported through ad hoc mechanisms, such as developing message based interfaces that are product specific and closely tied to specific use cases or scenarios. There is very little support for generic tools, much less a framework to support semantically driven interface development. This project would develop tools and techniques that will reduce the amount of effort that must be expended on repetitive (and non-reusable) tasks through development of appropriate tools. A second aspect of the project (and they cannot really be separated) is developing a suitable language for describing concrete realizations of standards. Current work is generally hobbled by the lack of general concepts and tools, wit the result that projects become labor intensive and error prone, essentially starting from the beginning with each new project
Name: Greg Woodhouse

45. Framework / Architecture
===Ontologies and how VistA fits in with them. ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson (David Whitten and Greg Woodhouse also interested)

46. Framework / Architecture
===Open Source Lab Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and collectively creating lab interfaces to be used with Mirth for those la
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively or done by volunteers
Name: Nancy Anthracite

47. Framework / Architecture
===Scaleable interoperability and portability ===
Description: Develop a viable alternative to the current namespace framework
Benefit provided: The current framework of allocating 2-4 character namespaces and corresponding number spaces to each project and adopter does not scale well to a world where VistA is widely adopted (and leads to less than transparent code). We need a new framework, one that can grow with VistA while maintaining backward compatibility.
Name: Greg Woodhouse

48. Framework / Architecture
===Spread Sheet/Flow Sheet capability for VistA ===
Description: The VA is working to include this is VistA. It may be some time before it is ready and we could use it now. Hopefully we could accomplish this without stepping on what they are doing
Benefit: Allowing improved functionality for VistA in several areas, especially in ICU, OB, and long term care
Name: Nancy Anthracite

49. Framework / Architecture
===Update the race and ethnicity file according to standards===
Description: Enhance the current race and ethnicity file with a standards based file that makes sense from a medically and takes into consideration making changes in the future as the science advances.
Benefit: The race an ethnicity file has virtually no medically beneficial elements to it at this time. It more closely tracks political designations than those that might be helpful for the patient and the providers. ASTM and perhaps HL7 are both tackling this in a way that should help with this and, in my opinion, enhancing the system with one of these standards is needed. As genomics advances, we should be advancing with it.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

50. GUI / All
===GUI Interface===
Description: All new development projects should be done with GUI interfaces. Existing roll & scroll interfaces should be converted to GUI interfaces as-soon-as possible
Benefit Provided: GUI Interfaces will help WorldVistA better compete with commercial EMR applications and help WorldVistA gain more market share. It is also better for the end-user physicians and their staffs.
Name: Ed Salvador

51. GUI / All
===GUI Rest of VistA===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the rest of VistA is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

52. GUI / Labs
===GUI Laboratory===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Laboratory module is GUI
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

53. GUI / Patient Portal
===Patient Portal===
Description Bring the MyHealtheVet functionality to WorldVistA EHR
• Obtain electronic copies of key portions of their electronic health records
• Have confidence that their health information is stored in a secure and private web environment
• Add structured medical information
• Track personal health metrics, such as blood pressure, blood sugar, weight, heart rate, and cholesterol
• Access a Health Education Library and health assessment tools
• Grant access to all or some of their health information to others, such as family other healthcare providers
• Send and receive electronic communication between patient and provider
Benefit provided
• Patient has electronic access clinical data as well as provider interaction
• Your name (so we know who to ask for clarification -- anonymous posts are accepted.)
Name: Khadijah Rashada

54. GUI / Pharmacy
===GUI Pharmacy Module===
Description: Adapt VistA so that the Pharmacy module is GUI. Allows for example OP medication orders to print prescription and drug labels immediately upon the doctor's order verification in the hospital Pharmacy (for tablets and liquids, for example, not for injections) so that the drugs are prepared and ready when the patient comes to the Pharmacy. These are all English-only; Arabic is not required. (In fact, accreditation requires documentation be in one language; and as most of the staff are expatriates throughout the region, English is the common language.)
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

55. GUI / Practice Management
===Open Source Practice Management Interfaces ===
Description: Collecting and perhaps collectively hiring folks to make interfaces with practice management systems that will allow the interface to be open source
Benefit: Ease of adoption and lower cost per practice if the programming work is paid for collectively
Name: Nancy Anthracite

56. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Interface between Fred Trotter's open source scheduling software and VistA. I believe Fred and Dave Whitten are already working on this and could use some help.
Name: Fred Trotter, Nancy Anthracite

57. GUI / Practice Management
===Scheduling GUI ===
Description: Completion of the scheduling GUI started by George Welch written in Delphi.
Name: George Welch, Nancy Anthracite

58. GUI / Registration
===GUI Registration and Pre-Registration===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to register patients and their visits (IP or OP), pre-register (such as for appointments or IP visit if needed), including where relevant payer (such as patient self-pay or selecting a particular corporate account or insurance policy).
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

59. GUI / Scheduling
===GUI Scheduling===
Description: Adapt VistA so that there is a GUI module to schedule appointments for patients (such as for X-Ray or Clinic or Physiotherapy visit); with type of appointment determining amount of time needed, which doctor or resource provides that service, etc; allowing patients to select among multiple doctors along with various scheduling criteria such as mornings or Wednesdays.
Benefit Provided: Prepare VistA for usability and adoption internationally
Name: William D. Lauesen

60. Imaging
===VistA Document Management===
Description: Take the real VistA imaging rename it to VistA Document Management and remove all references to FDA approval, ensure Dr. Dayhoff understands that the system will not be used for diagnosis, but rather document management, record management and capturing pictures of patients as needed.
Benefit provided : This is one of the critical areas that has been successfully addressed by the VOE. Driving towards a paperless offices can only be accommodated it the office has a path to get rid of the paper, using VistA imaging is a great solution.
Name: Jim Pietila

61. Implementation
===Configuration and Installation ===
Project topic found on VistApedia (anonymous)

62. Implementation
===Develop a self installing CD for WV EHR for both Cache and GT.M ===
Name: Bob Olmedo

63. Implementation
===Installers (WorldVistA EHR VOE w/Registration GUI, VistA/G.TM/Linux) ===
Description: Develop a suite of installers/set-up files, to assist in copying VistA, WorldVistA EHR files and clients to servers and desktops. This is a multiple stage development effort. First step - define installer types/classes (production, educational, demonstration), standardize deployment directories, learning installer tools and records clean-up (VistA). Second step - design and develop basic GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations, establish large scale resource hosting. Third step - design and develop advance GUI wizards to localize/customize implementations and provide administrative support interfaces for tasks such as journaling management and database back-up.
Name: Peter Bodtke

64. Integration
===LabCorp Interface ===
Description: Working with LabCorp to make their interface for VistA with the VA generally available. Benefits: Very fast hookups to LabCorp anywhere in the US Status: A programmer is working on making it easy to import the LabCorp Compendium into VistA and to take in unsolicited results. This will be an HL7 interface NOT utilizing Mirth because it is already virtually completely built to interface with VistA as is.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

65. Internationalization
===Achieve United Nations NGO status ===
Description: complete any outstanding tasks or application steps to achieve recognized United Nations Non-governmental Organization status. Below are the published requirements:
What are the Criteria for NGOs to become associated with DPI?
The NGO must support and respect the principles of the Charter of the UN and have a clear mission statement that is consistent with those principles;
• The NGO must be recognized nationally or internationally;
• The NGO should operate solely on a non-for-profit basis and have tax-exempt status;
• The NGO must have the commitment and the means to conduct effective information programmes, with its constituents and to a broader audience about UN activities;
• The NGO should have an established record of continuity of work for a minimum of three years and should show promise of sustained activity in the future;
• The NGO should have a satisfactory record of collaboration with UN Information Centres/Services or other parts of the UN System prior to association;
• The NGO should provide an audited annual financial statement, conducted by a qualified, independent accountant;
• The NGO should have statutes/by-laws providing for a transparent process of making decisions, elections of officers and members of the Board of Directors.
Benefits: Raise the status and credibility of WorldVistA on an international level. NGO status will hopefully open doors to foreign governments and provide opportunities to collaborate with the World Health Organization.
Name: Peter Bodtke

66. Internationalization
===I18N (Internationalization) - Issues and Answers ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

67. Internationalization
===Internationalization ===
Description: Provide language, date, currency, and support resources for non-English speaking users, both domestic and international. This would include an interface translation process for VistA and WorldVistA EHR systems, client interface translations, documentation translation, and organize a team of foreign language speakers to communicate with and support non-English speaking users.
Benefit: Extend the reach of VistA and WorldVistA user population. Provide an affordable electronic health care to emerging countries.
Name: Peter Bodtke
(support foreign languages, i.e. Spanish)
Name: Kevin Toppenberg
Multiple language support (I am working on this)

68. Internationalization
===Postal Codes for non-US countries ===
Description: Developing a Method for handling the Postal Code files considering that non-US countries have other systems. This project is well underway and being tested. More testers welcome.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

69. Market Place
===International Vendor Services===
Description: Setup a large capacity training/implementation/help-desk capability for VistA for global deployment.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

70. Market Place
===EHR Market Place===
Medikin’s EHR marketplace is an economic catalyst* that will accelerate WorldVistA adoption by:
- enabling EHR solution buyers to find vendors with proven expertise
- providing vendors with unique opportunities to prove their expertise
- exposing buyers of other EHRs to WorldVistA’s disruptive value proposition
Key benefits to the WorldVistA organization:
- adoption
- demand
- exposure
- valuable information (for policymaking)
Key benefits to WorldVistA solution buyers:
- lower cost
- predictable results
reduced risk
- unique predictive, comparative data re vendors
- simple RFP submission process
- access to comprehensive database of vendors
Key benefits to WorldVistA vendors:
- jobs
- leads
- exposure
- networking contacts
- free advertising
-advertising income
-enhanced business profile
Economic catalyst. An entity that (a) serves two or more groups; (b) who need each other in some way; but (c) who can't capture the value from their mutual attraction on their own; and (d) rely on the catalyst to facilitate value-creating reactions between them.
Excerpted (with paraphrase) from http://catalystcode.com/thebook/chapter1.php
The two groups being brought together in this case are the buyers and sellers of EHR solutions. Obviously they need each other to fulfill their objectives, but without an effective marketplace to catalyze their interactions, the numerous functional benefits of the marketplace which drive adoption are on a best efforts basis.
Name: Daniel Herschlag

71. Market Place
===Web-site advertising board ===
(generates revenue) $100/month (or what you decide) for a consultant to post their availability, this could be part of membership dues to be able to access this site, the person that hires the consultant can fill a "How did he do?" form that can help maintain the quality of service and consultants that are provided.
Name: Bob Olmedo

72. Module / Acupuncture & Chiropractic
===CAM Enhancements to VistA - Chiropractic & Acupuncture Modules ===
Description: For VistA to remain at the forefront of EHR systems, it needs to encompass Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) modules. CAM is a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine. Patients are increasingly turning to complementary and alternative medical (CAM) in order to enhance their health and well-being. CAM includes acupuncture, chiropractic medicine, osteopathic medicine, use of herbal remedies and other practices as an augmentation to more conventional medical treatments. The marketplace reflects this growing acceptance of complementary medicine by many patients and a small, but growing number of health care providers. By gathering and integrating health care information associated with the application of CAM procedures into a patient's electronic health record (EHR), more accurate measurement of outcomes can be generated. Best practices can then emerge showing which complementary medical practices are most effective when coupled with conventional medical treatments of specific disorders.
In a recent report on Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM) in the United States (2005), the Board on Health Promotion and Disease Prevention states that the total visits to CAM providers exceed total visits to all primary-care physicians. Out-of-pocket costs for CAM are estimated to exceed $27 billion, which shows that CAM is now big business. That does not include those therapies or treatments covered by insurance. Hospitals, managed care plans, and conventional practitioners are now incorporating CAM therapies into their practices. Medical schools, nursing schools, and schools of pharmacy are teaching their students about CAM.
It's hard to get an exact handle on the market for CAM, however, according to a recent article published on the Investors.Com web site, consumers snapped up about $54 billion worth of CAM services and dietary supplements in 2003. Of that figure, they claim that $34 billion went to all types of alternative services such as chiropractic, naturopathy, osteopathy and massage therapy, up from $25.5 billion in 1999. The U.S. market for dietary supplements isn't far behind, generating sales of $19.8 billion in 2003, up from $16.5 billion in 1999.
Benefit provided - It will enhance the capabilities and reputation of VistA in the world marketplace. It will include modules of CAM practices/treatment that patients and provider organizations are embracing whole heartedly. It will capture patient care information that is not being captured. It will allow providers to generate more revenue by charging for these CAM treatments. I suggest starting with the chiropractic and acupuncture modules.
Name: Peter Groen

73. Module / Acupuncture
===Acupuncture Support additions to VistA===
Description: Provide support for acupuncture practitioners in VistA Benefit: Acupuncture is being added to some traditional medical settings and there is a growing need to provide support for gathering data for care and research for those providers and their patients.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

74. Module / Chiropractic
===Chiropractic Support additions to VistA===
Description: Research and develop the additions to VistA that will support the practice of chiropractics
Benefit: Chiropractics is being incorporated into many traditional medical practices and a need to provide for those practitioners is growing.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

75. Module / Mental Health
===Mental Health Assistant ===
Description: Mental Health Assistant does not currently fully function with VistA. It will take a little more work to get everything working properly and it may mean waiting for the next iteration to be released in the future. However, we are making progress.
Benefits: Mental Health Assistant provides for the administration and scoring of Mental Health tests both by staff and by patients. This has become particularly important because public mental health hospitals and programs are taking a big interest in using VistA and because of the push to have the public sector help to support the returning veterans with PTSD
Name: Nancy Anthracite

76. Module / Portal
===WorldVistA Zimbra Integration===
Description: Integration of WorldVistA with the Zimbra HIPAA secure open source collaboration suite to synchronize messaging, users, patients, and calendars. Zimbra users will be able to schedule patient/client appointments which will automatically be reflected in the WorldVistA database, supporting the creation of clinical records at the time of the visit and effecting timely billing associated with the healthcare provided. This integration will allow all authorized personnel of healthcare providers and social service organizations, even those whose workforce is dispersed, to use local and remote HIPAA secure email and electronic patient scheduling
Benefits provided: Improve healthcare delivery, especially to underserved populations, by jump-starting projects to implement open source solutions that include WorldVistA in non-profit healthcare organizations in the US and those serving impoverished population elsewhere in the world.
Establish WorldVistA as the standard for electronic healthcare delivery systems for providers on a limited budget.
Standardize interfaces and technical architectures for open source environments which include WorldVistA.
Name: George Lilly

77. Module / PTSD
===Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - Developments and Impacts ===
Description:
Benefit provided:
Name: Chris Richardson

78. OB-GYN
===OB flow sheets (ACOG style) ===
Description: OB Flow sheets- See ACOG (American College of OB) paper charts: These are the standard. Apparently, in the VA, there are some Nursing Flow Sheets for ICU. These might be adaptable. Otherwise, you could pull data from the patient record and build it using XML and a Web server, like the approach they are taking for the Peds charts.
Name: Matthew King

79. OB-GYN
===OB-GYN project ===
Description: OB-GYN enhancements for VistA including Hollister like flow charts
Name: Nancy Anthracite

80. Organizational Design
===Organization Growth framework===
Description: We do need a structure and a process to spread VistA to its true potential. Many people, with diverse skills and experience will have to be involved. A similar situation exists with Open Source ERP/CRM, Compiere. I have a dated web site ( www.leo-systems.com), which deals with Compiere, learning it, implementation and training. It covers :
An ERP implementation is a complex project with several inter dependent activities, performed by many people, from various departments, who may be at several locations and often have different hidden agendas!
To improve your chances of success good project planning and effective project management are a MUST. We strongly recommend that you follow a suitable process. Many Consulting Organizations like Price Water House, Deloitte, and ERP Vendors, like SAP (ASAP), or Oracle (AIM) have their own implementation methodologies, based upon the way they work and are structured.
For Compiere, Leo Systems has put together this draft Implementation framework . It is based upon over three decades of experience in developing and implementing large custom developed and application packages, like in SAP, Oracle and Siebel. A spreadsheet has been provided to help estimate the role-wise hours required for the various tasks. We will also be making a MS Project Template. As your projects start, we would like feedback so the framework can be fine tuned, and metrics for Project Planning can be collected. This will help, in the spirit of Open Source to share your experience and help others who follow.
• The Process <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/process.htm>
• The Roles <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/roles.htm>
• The Process-Role Matrix <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/matrix.htm>
• Project Planning Spreadsheet <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/Implementation/spreadsheet.htm>
• Structured Role based approach to learning Compiere <http://leo-systems.com/free/Learning/register/introduction/structured_learning.htm>
I would be interested in a project to develop a suitable structure using our experience form the above for VistA. Incidentally Open Source Compiere, or its forks, OpenBravo and Adempiere, which support multi-languages and currencies may also be good platforms to develop the missing links to commercial competition to VistA. A world, standardized on one Open Source system, VistA would be a good place to live in vs the babel of closed source (expensive) solutions which do not talk to each other.
I am also working on a framework UDoIT which helps in the management consulting, organization/process/workflow documentation (As-Is and To-Be), which should be a prelude to an implementation of VistA. It may be a big help to document the clinical processes of VA which have been implemented in VistA, to facilitate re-engineering the work flows built into VistA, to meet the localization needs of different clients, environments and countries. I expect 50-80% of the processes would be common across the world. A common base would also help WorldVistA from forking. I personally am confused with the various versions and variants. This will become a nightmare with no one single code base for future development.
Name: Vipen Mahajan

81. Pediatrics
===Pediatrics Project ===
Description: To implement the suggestions of the HL7 Pediatric SIG and others for improving Pediatrics for VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

82. Pediatrics
===Pediatric Growth Charts for VistA ===
Description; Integration of the ability to display, initially the CDC growth charts, but eventually WHO and growth charts for diverse ethnicities and world locations in VistA
Benefits: Needed by pediatricians everywhere. CDC level capability needed for CCHIT certification.
Name: Nancy Anthracite

83. Pediatrics
===Peds Growth Charts ===
Description: Peds Growth Charts and expansion of vitals package to include OB and Peds parameters Name: Matthew King

84. Pharmacy
===Prescription Autofinish===
Description: Use Microsoft Windows Printers. Reconfigure prescription autofinish to pipe data to windows printer instead of VistA drivers. This is dependent upon the version MUMPS used (Cache or GT.M)

85. Pharmacy
===True Fax functionality ===
Description: Fax service in autofinish nearly unusable. The Pharmacy Directory should be maintained in the windows fax software, so non-techies at each site can maintain their own lists.
Name: Matthew King

86. Repository
===Template, Reminder and Object Repository ===
Description: A source and hopefully some sort of rating system to point out the best of the best templates and objects for VistA
Benefit: Improved functionality for all users of VistA
Name: Nancy Anthracite

87. Repository
===Vista Software Archive===
Description: This is an official version of Vista that is deposited with a software archiving organization.
Benefit provided: Business managers will be unlikely to approve the use of Vista in their organization if they feel that it
could change or disappear tomorrow leaving them out on a limb. An archived version would be always available even if the
present vista organization changes direction of gives up support.
Name: Edward R. (Ted) Byrne, PhD

88. Revenue
===Corporate support ===
Leverage the CCHIT to contact different companies (Dell, IBM, etc). I am using Rackspace and trying to get a group discount for using them as a VistA ASP.
Name: Bob Olmedo

89. Revenue
===Grants ===
There are billions available in grant funding and we can send these out to our registered membership as a service. We can also offer grant writing as a service (there are grant writers out there that charge $5 - $10K).
Name: Bob Olmedo

90. Revenue
===License Qualified & Preferred Vendors===
Description: Establish a royalty or licensing agreement for vendors to be listed as preferred solution providers.
Name: Peter Bodtke

91. Revenue
===Stratware* - WorldVistA Grant Application Support for non-profit healthcare providers===

Description:

Sample grant applications that follow the Foundation Center format will be developed/gathered and made freely available to assist US non-profit healthcare providers and those in other countries that might qualify to obtain funding from US foundations for their technical infrastructure that will include WorldVistA.

A database of all foundation grants made to date for health care technology projects will be developed to allow non-profits to research and locate funders whose interests meet their funding needs. (I have the start of such a database already based on research at the Foundation Center in spreadsheet format – all 939 grants since 2000 for healthcare and technology are categorized and represented.)

*note:Stratware, short for "Strategy Wares" are management consulting products that are not code, not documentation, not training, but rather presentations, project plans, grant application templates, and other deliverables which can be used to accomplish a successful implementation.
Benefits provided:
* US non-profit healthcare organizations and those that qualify in other countries will get the funding they need to implement state of the art technology that includes WorldVistA, resulting in improved service delivery and operations.
* Funders will begin to identify WorldVistA funding applications as ones that deliver cost effective benefits with low-risk projects.
* WorldVistA will accelerate adoption of its solutions in this important sector.

Name: George Lilly

92. Revenue

===WorldVistA Business Development ===
Create a business development group. Contact VAR's.
Name: Bob Olmedo

93. Tools
===Program Execution Simulator ===
Description: Give it a MUMPS routine as a starting point, and it simulates the execution.
1. Diagnose bugs e.g. an undef would be traced back to where the variable was last set or killed.
2. Give it integrity constraints e.g. A is a number, and it stops when it is first violated, the source of the problem.
3. Test live programs without changing live globals – all global changes are simulated only.
4. Make sure all code is tested – tells you what lines were never executed and logical paths to get to them to test them.
5. Improve efficiency e.g. variables set to the same value repeatedly in a loop.
6. Diagnose infinite loops – tells you the range of code being executed and the FOR or GOTO that repeats.
7. Tells you the net result of a subroutine (writes, global sets, local variables passed) to create documentation.
8. Reruns using the input entered at reads to repeat tests after you make changes to the MUMPS routines.
Name: Charles Volkstorf

94. Tools
===Intelligent Database of VISTA Global and Routine Documentation ===
Description: Allows you to:
1. Print Global documentation for any given global.
2. Describes what is at a given global, subscript and piece.
3. Lists the globals that contain a given field.
4. Finds a field based on knowing a given value e.g. “Blue Cross” or its format.
5. List all places (routine, tag, offset) where a given field is used, set, read, edited, deleted.
Name: Charles Volkstorf

95. Tools
===Mailman email encryption using a widely accepted standard ===
Purpose: To allow transmission of patient related information securely via email between VistA and other medical record system and between providers and patients
Name: Nancy Anthracite

96. Tools
===Patch stream updating system ===
Description: As WorldVistA is now the steward of the WorldVistA EHR code a system needs to be designed to incorporate enhancements from the VA and the VistA community. The process requires an evaluation step, integration and testing. Finally, the system requires stable equipment to host the resources.
Name: Peter Bodtke

97. Tools
===Server data "Save As"... ===
Description: i.e. ability to export site-specific data, for import into another installation. This would make VistA analogous to Word, which could open, close, transfer, share etc. data sets.
• Better installation and configuration tools
• Enable CPRS to run on Linux
Kevin Toppenberg

98. Vitals
===Additional Vitals Measurements===
Description: Need Head Circumference, Need Fundal height, (See IHS vitals)
Name: Matthew King

99. Vitals
===Vital Signs Enhancement and Standardization ===
Description: Gather and then try to standardize new vital signs needed. Contacting the VA to see if they are following any standard other then their own, finding out about IHS measurement file, and finding out what others are needed in the community, then harmonizing them all to make something suitable, hopefully for all but maybe just for WV-EHR
Name: Nancy Anthracite

CPRS Microsoft Windows Registry Details

2007-07-20T15:41:11Z

Forummgr:

CPRS uses the Microsoft Windows Registry to store some information about the VistA servers and ports that are available supporting connections. If CPRS is not invoked with a command line that specifies the server and port, it will provide a dialog box to allow the end-user to

The Registry Hive named "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Vista\Broker\Servers" usually has a string value which consists of the server name, a comma, and the server port. an example of this might be: "brokerserver,9212" or "cprsdemo.va.gov,80"

What is CPRS?

2007-07-20T15:17:55Z

Forummgr:

CPRS is an acronym that stands for Computerized Patient Record System.

{{:CPRS Executable Details}}

There is also information is available at the [[CPRS Overview]] page on this wiki.

[[Category:FAQ]]

What is CPRS?

2007-07-20T15:17:22Z

Forummgr:

CPRS is an acronym that stands for Computerized Patient Record System.

{{:CPRS Executable Details}}

More information is available at [[CPRS Details]]

[[Category:FAQ]]

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

2007-07-20T15:15:49Z

Forummgr:

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

No.

{{:CPRS Executable Details}}

[[Category:FAQ]]

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

2007-07-20T15:15:41Z

Forummgr:

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

No.

{{:CPRS Executable Details}}

[Category:FAQ]

Basic Questions

2007-07-20T15:14:49Z

Forummgr:

__TOC__

=== What does VistA stand for? ===
{{:What does VistA stand for?}}

=== What Software and Hardware does VistA need? ===
{{:What Software and Hardware does VistA need?}}

== FAQ Category ==
{{Category:FAQ}}

The Category named "FAQ" [Category:FAQ] is available for review.

CPRS Executable Details

2007-07-20T15:05:39Z

Forummgr:

The CPRS program is actually a separate Microsoft Windows executable. Before version 26, it was only a program named CPRSChart.exe that could be anywhere on your system. Since CPRS usually needs to know how to contact the VistA server, most people use a shortcut to start it. After version 26, a separate DLL is also required named "BORLNDMM.DLL" which handles some memory management for CPRS.

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

2007-07-20T15:05:30Z

Forummgr:

I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?

No.

{{:CPRS Executable Details}}

FAQ

2007-07-20T14:54:52Z

Forummgr:

This is a list of some common FAQs

# [[What is CPRS?]]
# [[What computer language is CPRS written in ?]]
# [[What human language is CPRS written to use ?]]
# [[Is CPRS the only way to access Vista with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Does Vista exist with MUMPS roll-and-scroll and the GUI interface is CPRS, a separate program ?]]
# [[Which options in Vista can be used with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Where are the best directions for installing CPRS ?]]
# [[Is CPRS self-contained (requiring only fundamental knowledge of computers) ?]]
# [[Do I have to know Windows internals to install CPRS ?]]
# [[I installed Vista under Microsoft Windows using InterSystems Cache using a CACHE.DAT file. Do I now have the CPRS program?]]
# [[Where do I get the CPRS program?]]

What is CPRS?

2007-07-20T14:42:14Z

Forummgr: added an FAQ

#REDIRECT [[CPRS Overview]]

FAQ

2007-07-20T14:40:59Z

Forummgr:

FAQ

2007-07-20T14:40:49Z

Forummgr:

This is a list of some common FAQs

# [[What is CPRS?]]
# [[What computer language is CPRS written in ?]]
# [[What human language is CPRS written to use ?]]
# [[Is CPRS the only way to access Vista with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Does Vista exist with MUMPS roll-and-scroll and the GUI interface is
CPRS, a separate program ?]]
# [[Which options in Vista can be used with a GUI interface ?]]
# [[Where are the best directions for installing CPRS ?]]
# [[Is CPRS self-contained (requiring only fundamental knowledge of computers) ?]]
# [[Do I have to know Windows internals to install CPRS ?]]

Current events

2007-07-20T14:37:11Z

Forummgr:

A new version of the WorldVistA software is being worked on.

WorldVistA has two VistA Community Meetings a year, usually in the Spring and in the Summer. There are also two VistA Education Conferences each year, and a Developers Education Conference.

See the web page at http://www.worldvista.org/events for more information about current events.

Lesson 5

2006-10-10T19:05:49Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 5

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 4]]
Next: [[Lesson 6]]

In Lesson 5 we are going use the global ^ZZLIB3 that we produced in lesson 4 to create three web tables. Table 1 will list the names by index number, Table 2 will list the names by last name, Table 3 will list the names by first name.

I realize that this is a touchy situation but I have again listed the cgi script that I used to make this work. Please use one similar to one that you have already working, only change the routine to ZZLIB5, if that is what you chose to name your routine for this lesson.

library.sh5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh
cd /usr/local/gtm/VISTA
export gtm_dist=/usr/local/gtm
export gtmroutines="$gtm_dist/VISTA/uo($gtm_dist/VISTA/ur) $gtm_dist"
export gtmgbldir=/usr/local/gtm/VISTA/mumps.gld
export PATH=$PATH:$gtm_dist
mumps -run ZZLIB5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The global that I used is the ^ZZLIB3 global as shown below.

^ZZLIB3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
^ZZLIB3(0)="4^4"
^ZZLIB3(1)="IRWIN^BENJAMIN"
^ZZLIB3(2)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3(3)="JETSON^GEORGE"
^ZZLIB3(4)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","IRWIN","BENJAMIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","JETSON","GEORGE",3)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","BENJAMIN","IRWIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","GEORGE","JETSON",3)=""
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The routine that I used to produce the web table follows.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY '{' CHARACTERS BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' WERE CHANGED TO '}'. Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when typing into your system.

<pre>

ZZLIB5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZZLIB5 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "<html>",!
W "<head>",!
W "<title>ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.</title>",!
W "</head>",!
W "<body>",!

w "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "<TR>",!
.W "<TD>",ZS1,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"</TD>",!
.W "</TR>",!

W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
;
W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
;
W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
;
W "</body>",!
W "</html>",!
;
Q

</pre>

-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I called it by entering the following line into the web browser.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://10.0.1.209/cgi-bin/library.sh5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is an explanation of the process.

Almost every opening web tag requires a closing web tag. The paragraph tag {P} is an exception, but I used a closing tag here just to make my routine look good.

Each table section starts with a new paragraph tag {P}, and ends with a end paragraph tag {/P}.

Each table starts with a table tag {TABLE}, and ends with a table end tag {/TABLE}. In this case I requested a table border of 1 to surround my cells. You can play with that number and watch what it does.

I placed headers at the top of the table using the start table row tag {TR} and ended the header section with a end table row tag (/TR}.

Within the table row tags, I identified each table header by a start table header tag {TH} and a end table header tag {/TH}.

The next section I start moving through the mumps global using the $O function. For the names listed by index number, table 1, I start by setting ZS1=0. Within the F(or) loop I use the $O function to move the value of ZS1 to the value in the global just after the previous value. The first time through the loop that would now make ZS1=1.

Then I place the data that is at ^ZZLIB3(1) equal to ZD1. I use the numeric value of ZS1, in the first loop that would be the number 1, and write it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

Then I use the $P(iece) function to get the second piece of data from ZD1, first name, and place it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

Then I use the $P(iece) function to get the first piece of data from ZD1, last name and place it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

The second table goes through the same process, just a deeper array structure that is sorted by last name. The "B" cross reference.

The third table again goes through the process using the "C" cross reference, in this case sorted by first name.

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 4]]
Next: [[Lesson 6]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 1

2006-10-10T19:01:08Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / web application / FileMan and VISTA

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Next: [[Lesson 2]]

I am going to provide a little tutorial on this mailing list to introduce the readers to web applications. We will be using the Apache web server, simple cgi scripts, gradually increasingly complex mumps routines and finally moving to FileMan and VISTA database calls to produce our web application. Our final project will be a web application to catalog books, videos, and magazines.

Disclaimer: This is only a tutorial. I will be using techniques that may not be secure for an open internet solution. I obviously make no warranties regarding the programs or techniques. Be sure to read the responses to this e-mail tutorial, I am sure that the more security aware readers will share their understanding and wisdom. I invite everyone's input. It will make the process more of a learning experience.

Ok here we go. Lesson 1 - Linux / Apache / CGI Scripts and the great "Hello world" program.

Most Linux installations come with an Apache web server. It is beyond the scope of this letter to explain how to get the web server up and running. We are going start in the cgi-bin directory to produce our CGI script.

On my Linux / Apache installation the default place to write cgi scripts is in the /var/www/cgi-bin directory.

We are going to create a cgi script that will produce the single statement "Hello world!" on a web page. The name of our file is going to be "library.sh1".

library.sh1

----------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh

echo Content-type: text/html

echo
echo "<html>"
echo "<head>"
echo "<title>"
echo "Hello world demo."
echo "</title>"
echo "</head>"
echo "<body>"
echo "Hello world!"
echo "</body>"
echo "</html>"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Now make the permissions to the file so that they include executable permissions.

chmod 777 library.sh1

-rwxrwxrwx 1 apache apache 211 Aug 20 19:32 library.sh1*

Now aim you browser to your new cgi script using something simular to the following line. Change the IP address to your own Linux server address.

http://10.0.1.209/cgi-bin/library.sh1

You should see a web page with the following line.

Hello world!

And the web page header should say "Hello world demo."

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Next: [[Lesson 2]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 7

2006-10-10T18:59:49Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 7 - B Corrected for Security.

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 6]]
Next: [[Lesson 8]]

In the following routine we make use of functions and add hypertext links. We also use the special function supplied with GT.M called $ZTRNLNM and use it to examine a environment variable called QUERY_STRING.

Many times when you are surfing the web, you may see a http address followed by a question mark "?", and then a bunch of information. This bunch of information can come from a form that you filled out or that was hidden on the page that you were previously on.

In the UNIX / Linux world the information that is past the question mark "?" is placed in the environment variable QUERY_STRING.

In our mumps routine we use the special function $ZTRNLNM to give us the value that is in the environment variable QUERY_STRING. You will notice in our hyperlinks that we have placed our routine function tags after the question mark "?" for our three methods of displaying the data in our ^ZZLIB3 global.

Depending on which hyperlink you select the environment variable QUERY_STRING will contain "TB1", "TB2", or "TB3".

The $ZTRNLNM function will use this value to set XX equal to "TB1", "TB2", or "TB3".

The I(f) command tests the value of XX. If the test XX="TB1" is true then the rest of the line is executed. If the test XX="TB1" is false execution of this line in discontinued and execution moves to the next line.

If someone tries to run this script/routine with anything other then TB1, TB2, or TB3, nothing happens.

You need to make sure that the HREF file, in my case "library7.cgi" is the cgi file that you have set to call this routine. It is actually designed to recall itself to produce the tables.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY the HTML entity CHARACTERS ie: & lt ; BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' characters WERE CHANGED TO & rt ; . You can cut and paste from the rendered page, but you will have to Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when cutting and pasting from the edit-page.

<pre>
ZZLIB7

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB7 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "<html>",!
W "<head>",!
W "<title>ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.</title>",!
W "</head>",!
W "<body>",!
;
S XX=$ZTRNLNM("QUERY_STRING")
;
W "<A HREF=""library7.cgi?TB1"">Sort by Index Number</A><BR>"
W "<A HREF=""library7.cgi?TB2"">Sort by Last Name</A><BR>"
W "<A HREF=""library7.cgi?TB3"">Sort by First Name</A><BR>"
;
I XX="TB1" D TB1
I XX="TB2" D TB2
I XX="TB3" D TB3
;
W "</body>",!
W "</html>",!
;
Q
;
TB1 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "<TR>",!
.W "<TD>",ZS1,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"</TD>"
.W "<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"</TD>",!
.W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
;
TB2 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
TB3 ;
W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q

</pre>

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 6]]
Next: [[Lesson 8]]

Lesson 6

2006-10-10T18:58:22Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 6

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

Indirection - A complex concept, used in a simple example.

The following routine makes use of the D(o) command to perform functions that draw each type table.

The do command is used to run a function and routine operation continues with the next command after the calling D(o) command.

The function "done" starts at the program tag called by the D(o) command and continues until the Q(uit) command, at which point operation returns to the command just after the calling D(o) command.

In the routine for this lession the command "D TB1" causes execution to go to the routine tag "TB1" and perform the operations in this function down to the point of the Q(uit) command, then execution returns to the command "S XX="TB1"".

The next topic, Indirection, allows the programmer to set a variable equal to a program tag. When used with the command "D @XX" execution goes to the routine tag that is the value contained in XX.

So the two commands in this case actually are the same and you will notice on your web page that each table is drawn twice.

The command line "D TB1" and "S XX="TB1" D @XX" perform the same function.

This looks a little silly at this point, but it's use will become very useful in the following lessons.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY the HTML entity CHARACTERS ie: & lt ; BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' characters WERE CHANGED TO & rt ; . You can cut and paste from the rendered page, but you will have to Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when cutting and pasting from the edit-page.

<pre>
ZZLIB6

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB6 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "<html>",!
W "<head>",!
W "<title>ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.</title>",!
W "</head>",!
W "<body>",!
;
D TB1
S XX="TB1"
D @XX
;
D TB2
S XX="TB2"
D @XX
;
D TB3
S XX="TB3"
D @XX
;
W "</body>",!
W "</html>",!
;
Q
;
TB1 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "<TR>",!
.W "<TD>",ZS1,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"</TD>"
.W "<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"</TD>",!
.W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
;
TB2 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
TB3 ;
W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q

</pre>

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 6

2006-10-10T18:56:43Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 6

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

Indirection - A complex concept, used in a simple example.

The following routine makes use of the D(o) command to perform functions that draw each type table.

The do command is used to run a function and routine operation continues with the next command after the calling D(o) command.

The function "done" starts at the program tag called by the D(o) command and continues until the Q(uit) command, at which point operation returns to the command just after the calling D(o) command.

In the routine for this lession the command "D TB1" causes execution to go to the routine tag "TB1" and perform the operations in this function down to the point of the Q(uit) command, then execution returns to the command "S XX="TB1"".

The next topic, Indirection, allows the programmer to set a variable equal to a program tag. When used with the command "D @XX" execution goes to the routine tag that is the value contained in XX.

So the two commands in this case actually are the same and you will notice on your web page that each table is drawn twice.

The command line "D TB1" and "S XX="TB1" D @XX" perform the same function.

This looks a little silly at this point, but it's use will become very useful in the following lessons.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY '{' CHARACTERS BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' WERE CHANGED TO '}'. Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when typing into your system.

<pre>
ZZLIB6

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB6 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "<html>",!
W "<head>",!
W "<title>ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.</title>",!
W "</head>",!
W "<body>",!
;
D TB1
S XX="TB1"
D @XX
;
D TB2
S XX="TB2"
D @XX
;
D TB3
S XX="TB3"
D @XX
;
W "</body>",!
W "</html>",!
;
Q
;
TB1 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "<TR>",!
.W "<TD>",ZS1,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"</TD>"
.W "<TD>",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"</TD>",!
.W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
;
TB2 W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q
TB3 ;
W "<P>",!
W "<TABLE BORDER=1>",!
W "<TR>",!
W "<TH>INDEX</TH><TH>FIRST NAME</TH><TH>LAST NAME</TH>",!
W "</TR>",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "<TR>",!
...W "<TD>",ZS4,"</TD>","<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"</TD>"
...W "<TD>",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"</TD>",!
...W "</TR>",!
W "</TABLE>",!
W "</P>",!
Q

</pre>

Tutorial Home: [[M Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 6

2006-10-10T18:48:28Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 6

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

Indirection - A complex concept, used in a simple example.

The following routine makes use of the D(o) command to perform functions that draw each type table.

The do command is used to run a function and routine operation continues with the next command after the calling D(o) command.

The function "done" starts at the program tag called by the D(o) command and continues until the Q(uit) command, at which point operation returns to the command just after the calling D(o) command.

In the routine for this lession the command "D TB1" causes execution to go to the routine tag "TB1" and perform the operations in this function down to the point of the Q(uit) command, then execution returns to the command "S XX="TB1"".

The next topic, Indirection, allows the programmer to set a variable equal to a program tag. When used with the command "D @XX" execution goes to the routine tag that is the value contained in XX.

So the two commands in this case actually are the same and you will notice on your web page that each table is drawn twice.

The command line "D TB1" and "S XX="TB1" D @XX" perform the same function.

This looks a little silly at this point, but it's use will become very useful in the following lessons.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY '{' CHARACTERS BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' WERE CHANGED TO '}'. Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when typing into your system.

ZZLIB6

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB6 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "{html}",!
W "{head}",!
W "{title}ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.{/title}",!
W "{/head}",!
W "{body}",!
;
D TB1
S XX="TB1"
D @XX
;
D TB2
S XX="TB2"
D @XX
;
D TB3
S XX="TB3"
D @XX
;
W "{/body}",!
W "{/html}",!
;
Q
;
TB1 W "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "{TR}",!
.W "{TD}",ZS1,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"{/TD}"
.W "{TD}",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
.W "{/TR}",!
W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
Q
;
TB2 W "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "{TR}",!
...W "{TD}",ZS4,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"{/TD}"
...W "{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
...W "{/TR}",!
W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
Q
TB3 ;
W "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "{TR}",!
...W "{TD}",ZS4,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"{/TD}"
...W "{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
...W "{/TR}",!
W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
Q

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 5]]
Next: [[Lesson 7]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 5

2006-10-10T18:48:14Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 5

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 4]]
Next: [[Lesson 6]]

In Lesson 5 we are going use the global ^ZZLIB3 that we produced in lesson 4 to create three web tables. Table 1 will list the names by index number, Table 2 will list the names by last name, Table 3 will list the names by first name.

I realize that this is a touchy situation but I have again listed the cgi script that I used to make this work. Please use one similar to one that you have already working, only change the routine to ZZLIB5, if that is what you chose to name your routine for this lesson.

library.sh5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh
cd /usr/local/gtm/VISTA
export gtm_dist=/usr/local/gtm
export gtmroutines="$gtm_dist/VISTA/uo($gtm_dist/VISTA/ur) $gtm_dist"
export gtmgbldir=/usr/local/gtm/VISTA/mumps.gld
export PATH=$PATH:$gtm_dist
mumps -run ZZLIB5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The global that I used is the ^ZZLIB3 global as shown below.

^ZZLIB3
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
^ZZLIB3(0)="4^4"
^ZZLIB3(1)="IRWIN^BENJAMIN"
^ZZLIB3(2)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3(3)="JETSON^GEORGE"
^ZZLIB3(4)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","IRWIN","BENJAMIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","JETSON","GEORGE",3)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","BENJAMIN","IRWIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","GEORGE","JETSON",3)=""
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The routine that I used to produce the web table follows.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: ALL OF THE '<' CHARACTERS HAVE BEEN REPLACED BY '{' CHARACTERS BECAUSE THE WIKI WAS NOT FORMATTING PROPERLY OTHERWISE. LIKEWISE, ALL THE '>' WERE CHANGED TO '}'. Replace these back to the proper '<' and '>' characters when typing into your system.

ZZLIB5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
ZZLIB5 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A WEB PAGE USING THE ^ZZLIB3 GLOBAL.
;
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "{html}",!
W "{head}",!
W "{title}ZZLIB3 GLOBAL LISTS.{/title}",!
W "{/head}",!
W "{body}",!

w "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1=0
F S ZS1=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1)) Q:+ZS1=0 D
.S ZD1=^ZZLIB3(ZS1)
.W "{TR}",!
.W "{TD}",ZS1,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD1,"^",2),"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD1,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
.W "{/TR}",!

W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
;
W "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1="B"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "{TR}",!
...W "{TD}",ZS4,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"{/TD}"
...W "{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
...W "{/TR}",!
W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
;
W "{P}",!
W "{TABLE BORDER=1}",!
W "{TR}",!
W "{TH}INDEX{/TH}{TH}FIRST NAME{/TH}{TH}LAST NAME{/TH}",!
W "{/TR}",!
S ZS1="C"
S ZS2=""
F S ZS2=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2)) Q:ZS2="" D
.S ZS3=""
.F S ZS3=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3)) Q:ZS3="" D
..S ZS4=""
..F S ZS4=$O(^ZZLIB3(ZS1,ZS2,ZS3,ZS4)) Q:ZS4="" D
...S ZD4=^ZZLIB3(ZS4)
...W "{TR}",!
...W "{TD}",ZS4,"{/TD}","{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",2),"{/TD}"
...W "{TD}",$P(ZD4,"^",1),"{/TD}",!
...W "{/TR}",!
W "{/TABLE}",!
W "{/P}",!
;
W "{/body}",!
W "{/html}",!
;
Q
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

I called it by entering the following line into the web browser.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://10.0.1.209/cgi-bin/library.sh5
-------------------------------------------------------------------------

The following is an explanation of the process.

Almost every opening web tag requires a closing web tag. The paragraph tag {P} is an exception, but I used a closing tag here just to make my routine look good.

Each table section starts with a new paragraph tag {P}, and ends with a end paragraph tag {/P}.

Each table starts with a table tag {TABLE}, and ends with a table end tag {/TABLE}. In this case I requested a table border of 1 to surround my cells. You can play with that number and watch what it does.

I placed headers at the top of the table using the start table row tag {TR} and ended the header section with a end table row tag (/TR}.

Within the table row tags, I identified each table header by a start table header tag {TH} and a end table header tag {/TH}.

The next section I start moving through the mumps global using the $O function. For the names listed by index number, table 1, I start by setting ZS1=0. Within the F(or) loop I use the $O function to move the value of ZS1 to the value in the global just after the previous value. The first time through the loop that would now make ZS1=1.

Then I place the data that is at ^ZZLIB3(1) equal to ZD1. I use the numeric value of ZS1, in the first loop that would be the number 1, and write it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

Then I use the $P(iece) function to get the second piece of data from ZD1, first name, and place it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

Then I use the $P(iece) function to get the first piece of data from ZD1, last name and place it between table data tags, {TD} and {/TD}.

The second table goes through the same process, just a deeper array structure that is sorted by last name. The "B" cross reference.

The third table again goes through the process using the "C" cross reference, in this case sorted by first name.

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 4]]
Next: [[Lesson 6]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 4

2006-10-10T18:48:01Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 4

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 3]]
Next: [[Lesson 5]]

In Lesson 4 we are going to leave the cgi scripts and html behind and talk about how FileMan, the database portion of VISTA stores data.

There are two general choices in database creation.

The first option would be to just store data in an unsorted list, and sort the data as needed. This option saves disk space, and speeds data entry (no millisecond pause after the enter key is pressed). However, the time to produce reports and look up information look up is greatly increased.

The second option is to store data in a list with an index number, and create indexes at the time of data entry. This takes up more disk space, and takes a little longer when the enter key is pressed (maybe a millisecond).

VISTA with the help of FileMan uses the second option. We are going to create a short mumps routine to "simulate" a very small Fileman database.

The following internally documented routine builds our global. I am sorry for any word wrapping. It is hard to avoid.

ZZLIB3

----------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB3 ; ROUTINE TO CREATE A SIMULATED FILEMAN GLOBAL.
;
; Write a line asking the user to input name.
RS W !,"PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME): "
;
; Accept (read) user input and place the value into LNFN.
R LNFN
;
; End the routine if the user only presses the enter key.
G:LNFN="" END
;
; Increment counter one.
S $P(^ZZLIB3(0),"^",1)=$P($G(^ZZLIB3(0)),"^",1)+1
;
; Increment counter two.
S $P(^ZZLIB3(0),"^",2)=$P($G(^ZZLIB3(0)),"^",2)+1
;
; Set the data in the global at the counter two value.
S ^ZZLIB3($P(^ZZLIB3(0),"^",2))=$P(LNFN,",",1)_"^"_$P(LNFN,",",2)
;
; Set the "B" index into a global array by
; Lastname,Firstname,Counter Two.
S ^ZZLIB3("B",$P(LNFN,",",1),$P(LNFN,",",2),$P(^ZZLIB3(0),"^",2))=""
;
; Set the "C" index into a global array by
; Firstname,Lastname,Counter Two.
S ^ZZLIB3("C",$P(LNFN,",",2),$P(LNFN,",",1),$P(^ZZLIB3(0),"^",2))=""
;
; Repeat the process.
G RS
;
END ; END OF ROUTINE
;
Q

After entering the routine, I used the following names to build the global.

GTM>D ^ZZLIB3

PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME): IRWIN,BENJAMIN

PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME): FLINTSTONE,FRED

PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME): JETSON,GEORGE

PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME): FLINTSTONE,FRED

PLEASE INPUT NAME (LASTNAME,FIRSTNAME):

GTM>

Then I used the %GO routine to view the global structure.

GTM>D ^%GO

Global Output Utility

Global ^ZZLIB3

^ZZLIB3

Current total of 1 global.

Global ^

Header Label:

Output Format: GO or ZWR:

Output device: <terminal>:

%GO Global Output Utility

GT.M 25-AUG-2003 19:46:32 ZWR

^ZZLIB3
^ZZLIB3(0)="4^4"
^ZZLIB3(1)="IRWIN^BENJAMIN"
^ZZLIB3(2)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3(3)="JETSON^GEORGE"
^ZZLIB3(4)="FLINTSTONE^FRED"
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","FLINTSTONE","FRED",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","IRWIN","BENJAMIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("B","JETSON","GEORGE",3)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","BENJAMIN","IRWIN",1)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",2)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","FRED","FLINTSTONE",4)=""
^ZZLIB3("C","GEORGE","JETSON",3)=""

Total of 13 nodes in 1 global.

GTM>

This shows the ^ZZLIB3 global with the data in nodes 1, 2, 3, 4.

The index node "B" has additional array indexes to sort by last name, then first name, and then by the data index number. This allows multiple "Fred Flinstones" to exist in the same database.

The index node "C" has additional array indexes to sort by first name, then last name, and then by the data index number.

The two values at node 0 (zero) are used by FileMan to determine how many names are in the database and the next number to assign.

I am sorry I can't remember which one is which for sure. If a name is deleted from the database then one number would be decreased by one, but the data index number would remain unchanged and would increment after the next addition.

We will use the ^ZZLIB3 global in Lesson 4 to produce a web page table of the names sorted by all three methods.

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 3]]
Next: [[Lesson 5]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 3

2006-10-10T18:47:48Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 3

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 2]]
Next: [[Lesson 4]]

In Lesson 3 we are going to only use our cgi script to take us to the MUMPS environment, then a MUMPS program to write information out to our web browser. We will write out the same thing, but we will use MUMPS commands to perform the writing. Basically we will exchange the shell echo command with the MUMPS (W)rite command.

To get started we will use a Linux shell script to get MUMPS started. Your shell script will probibly look a little different, but I will explain my shell script listed below.

library.sh2

----------------------------------------------------------------

#!/bin/sh

cd /usr/local/gtm/VISTA
export gtm_dist=/usr/local/gtm
export gtmroutines="$gtm_dist/VISTA/uo($gtm_dist/VISTA/ur) $gtm_dist"
export gtmgbldir=/usr/local/gtm/VISTA/mumps.gld
export PATH=$PATH:$gtm_dist
mumps -run ZZLIB2
----------------------------------------------------------------

The line "export gtm_dist=/usr/local/gtm" defines where the general GT.M routines reside.

The line that defines the "gtmroutines" variable, tells GT.M where to look for it's routines.

The line that defines the "gtmgbldir" variable, tells GT.M where to look for it's globals or data files.

The line "mumps -run ZZLIB2" tells the system to run MUMPS and after starting MUMPS to run the MUMPS routine, ZZLIB2. When done running ZZLIB2, return to the Linux command prompt.

The MUMPS routine would look like what is shown below.

----------------------------------------------------------------

ZZLIB2 ; Hello world web routine.
;
W "Content-type: text/html",!!
W "<html>",!
W "<head>",!
W "<title>",!
W "Hello world demo.",!
W "</title>",!
W "</head>",!
W "<body>",!
W "Hello world, for the second time!",!
W "</body>",!
W "</html>",!
;
Q

----------------------------------------------------------------

Now if you return to the cgi-bin directory and run the library.sh2 shell script using one of the following methods.

library.sh2 or ./library.sh2

You should receive the following.

----------------------------------------------------------------
Content-type: text/html
<html>
<head>
<title>
Hello world demo.
</title>
</head>
<body>
Hello world, for the second time!
</body>
</html>
----------------------------------------------------------------

Then if you open your browser and point it to the library.sh2 shell script on your Linux server using a line something like.

http://10.0.1.209/cgi-bin/library.sh2

You should receive a web page that looks like.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Hello world, for the second time!

----------------------------------------------------------------

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 2]]
Next: [[Lesson 4]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 2

2006-10-10T18:47:21Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / Web Application Lesson 2

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 1]]
Next: [[Lesson 3]]

In Lesson 1 we placed the following cgi script file in the cgi-bin directory for our web server. When we called it using the web server it just wrote "Hello world!" to the web page and put the title "Hello world demo." in the web browser title bar.

library.sh1

----------------------------------------------------------------

#!/bin/sh

echo Content-type: text/html
echo

echo "<html>"
echo "<head>"
echo "<title>"
echo "Hello world demo."
echo "</title>"
echo "</head>"
echo "<body>"
echo "Hello world!"
echo "</body>"
echo "</html>"

----------------------------------------------------------------

If we run the cgi script from the Linux prompt using the following command:
library.sh1 or ./library.sh1 depending on your Linux setup you should get the following listing.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Content-type: text/html
<html>
<head>
<title>
Hello world demo.
</title>
</head>
<body>
Hello world!
</body>
</html>

----------------------------------------------------------------

The "Content-type: text/html" line tells the browser to treat this document as a html file.

Html tags usually go in pairs one to start a section and another to end a section.

The <HTML> tag starts the html page. The </HTML> ends the html page.

The <HEAD> tag starts the header section. The </HEAD> tag ends the header section.

The <TITLE> tag starts the title section. The </TITLE> tag ends the title section.

Well, I guess you get the idea.

The important concept to learn from this lesson is that what prints to the screen when a cgi script is run at the Linux prompt is the same information that gets sent to the web browser.

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Prev: [[Lesson 1]]
Next: [[Lesson 3]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Lesson 1

2006-10-10T18:46:40Z

Forummgr:

Linux / Apache / GT.M / web application / FileMan and VISTA

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Next: [[Lesson 2]]

I am going to provide a little tutorial on this mailing list to introduce the readers to web applications. We will be using the Apache web server, simple cgi scripts, gradually increasingly complex mumps routines and finally moving to FileMan and VISTA database calls to produce our web application. Our final project will be a web application to catalog books, videos, and magazines.

Disclaimer: This is only a tutorial. I will be using techniques that may not be secure for an open internet solution. I obviously make no warranties regarding the programs or techniques. Be sure to read the responses to this e-mail tutorial, I am sure that the more security aware readers will share their understanding and wisdom. I invite everyone's input. It will make the process more of a learning experience.

Ok here we go. Lesson 1 - Linux / Apache / CGI Scripts and the great "Hello world" program.

Most Linux installations come with an Apache web server. It is beyond the scope of this letter to explain how to get the web server up and running. We are going start in the cgi-bin directory to produce our CGI script.

On my Linux / Apache installation the default place to write cgi scripts is in the /var/www/cgi-bin directory.

We are going to create a cgi script that will produce the single statement "Hello world!" on a web page. The name of our file is going to be "library.sh1".

library.sh1

----------------------------------------------------------------
#!/bin/sh

echo Content-type: text/html

echo
echo "<html>"
echo "<head>"
echo "<title>"
echo "Hello world demo."
echo "</title>"
echo "</head>"
echo "<body>"
echo "Hello world!"
echo "</body>"
echo "</html>"

---------------------------------------------------------------

Now make the permissions to the file so that they include executable permissions.

chmod 777 library.sh1

-rwxrwxrwx 1 apache apache 211 Aug 20 19:32 library.sh1*

Now aim you browser to your new cgi script using something simular to the following line. Change the IP address to your own Linux server address.

http://10.0.1.209/cgi-bin/library.sh1

You should see a web page with the following line.

Hello world!

And the web page header should say "Hello world demo."

Tutorial Home: [[M2Web Tutorials]]
Next: [[Lesson 2]]

----
[[Category:Tutorials]]

Main Page

2006-10-10T17:24:54Z

Forummgr:

This wiki covers questions regarding the VistA software, the various components of that software, and configuration and installation of the same. It incorporates information from many people. We have been repeatedly vandalized by people trying to advance their google page rank, hence this is now a closed community wiki.

To get access, contact David Whitten ( whitten at worldvista.org ) through an e-mail,
or phone 713 870 3834 to get an account.
Please send a contact telephone number with your e-mail, and/or
have an e-mail address ready when you call. (I need both.)
Please decide on your preferred User name.
We have provided a [[User Status|page]] for new users and their current status.
Thank you.

__TOC__

Configuration is the process of changing details about a VistA package.
These details are fine level controls over the behaviour of the package.

=== Overview of OpenVistA and VistA ===
* [[Basic Questions]]
* [[Frequently Asked Questions]]
* [[VistA System Components]]
* [[Documentation Overview]]
** [[Glossary of Terms]] ([[Glossary Template]])
* [[Programming Languages Overview]]
** [[MUMPS Overview]]
** [[Delphi Overview]]
** [[Java Overview]]
** [[SQL Overview]]
** [[XML Overview]]
* [[Programming VistA Issues]]
* [[FileMan Overview]] (with details also)
* [[Kernel Overview]]
* [[Operating Systems Overview]]
* [[VistA Packages Overview]]
* [[M2Web Overview]]

=== Installation Guides ===
* [[Installation Overview]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Linux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/GT.M coLinux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux | Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux including VistALink (Java)]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/Cache]]
* [[Introducing OpenVistA VivA 0.1]]
* [[Hardware Issues]]
* [[CPRS Installation]]
* [[Victory Programmer Environment (VPE) Installation]]

=== Configuration of Packages ===
* [[Configuration Overview]]
* [[Register a Patient]]

=== Collaboration Tools ===
* [[OpenForum]]
* Message Board (read only): http://www.mail-archive.com/hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net/

* [[CHC Corner]] for ''' Community Health Centers ''' discussion/wish list/collaboration/etc.

* [[From Hardhats Listserve:]]

=== Volunteer Opportunities with WorldVistA ===
* [[Volunteer Coordinator]]
* [[Planning for VistA Advances]]
* [[Advocating VistA]]
* [[Documenting VistA]]
* [[Organization and Planning For VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Recording Results Of A VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Categorizing Needs For New VistA Packages]]
* [[Developing New VistA Packages]]
* [[Administration Of OpenForum]]
* [[VistA Community Weekly Conference Call]]

=== Working Groups ===
*[[Software Development (WG1)]]
** [[Education Team]]
*[[Implementation and Education (WG2)]]
*[[Finance (WG3)]]

=== Community Meeting ===
* [[VCM Boston 2005]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q2 2006]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q3 2006]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q1 2007]]

=== Details about this page ===
To limit vandalism, this page has been write-protected. If you need to make modifications to this page,
contact DavidWhitten, who will help you make changes. Thank you for your support.
=== Details of this website's software ===

This Wiki is based on the mediawiki software. [[Unique Features of Forum Wiki]]

Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface]
and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

Editing help see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Editing#Sections.2C_paragraphs.2C_lists_and_lines

Disable Logins Problem

2006-09-21T21:12:21Z

Forummgr:

If you get a message like
"Sorry, all activity on this volume set is being halted! Try again later."
then you probably have had the flag for disabling logins set.

This flag is part of the patch process, and is part of the system management for a VistA system. Usually, a system manager has access to the system using programming mode, so it doesn't keep them from performing their work.

To change this flag, the following dialog may be helpful, specifically the line marked in RED :
In this example the field's value is NO, but the message typically occurs when the value is YES. It can be changed simply by typing NO when prompted.
<pre>
MUMPS>d Q^DI

VA FileMan 22.0

Select OPTION: 1 ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: VOLUME SET// volume set (1 entry)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL//

Select VOLUME SET: EHR
VOLUME SET: EHR//
TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE VOLUME SET//</pre>
<font color=red> INHIBIT LOGONS?: </font> NO// <pre>
LINK ACCESS?: YES//
OUT OF SERVICE?: NO//
REQUIRED VOLUME SET?: NO//
TASKMAN FILES UCI: EHR//
TASKMAN FILES VOLUME SET: EHR//
REPLACEMENT VOLUME SET:
DAYS TO KEEP OLD TASKS: 4//
SIGNON/PRODUCTION VOLUME SET: Yes//

</pre>

[[Category:HowTo]]

Disable Logins Problem

2006-09-21T21:10:31Z

Forummgr:

If you get a message like
"Sorry, all activity on this volume set is being halted! Try again later."
then you probably have had the flag for disabling logins set.

This flag is part of the patch process, and is part of the system management for a VistA system. Usually, a system manager has access to the system using programming mode, so it doesn't keep them from performing their work.

To change this flag, the following dialog may be helpful, specifically the line marked in RED :
<pre>
MUMPS>d Q^DI

VA FileMan 22.0

Select OPTION: 1 ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: VOLUME SET// volume set (1 entry)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL//

Select VOLUME SET: EHR
VOLUME SET: EHR//
TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE VOLUME SET//</pre>
<font color=red> INHIBIT LOGONS?: NO// </font><pre>
LINK ACCESS?: YES//
OUT OF SERVICE?: NO//
REQUIRED VOLUME SET?: NO//
TASKMAN FILES UCI: EHR//
TASKMAN FILES VOLUME SET: EHR//
REPLACEMENT VOLUME SET:
DAYS TO KEEP OLD TASKS: 4//
SIGNON/PRODUCTION VOLUME SET: Yes//

</pre>

Disable Logins Problem

2006-09-21T21:10:16Z

Forummgr:

If you get a message like
"Sorry, all activity on this volume set is being halted! Try again later."
then you probably have had the flag for disabling logins set.

This flag is part of the patch process, and is part of the system management for a VistA system. Usually, a system manager has access to the system using programming mode, so it doesn't keep them from performing their work.

To change this flag, the following dialog may be helpful, specifically the line marked in RED :
<pre>
MUMPS>d Q^DI

VA FileMan 22.0

Select OPTION: 1 ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: VOLUME SET// volume set (1 entry)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL//

Select VOLUME SET: EHR
VOLUME SET: EHR//
TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE VOLUME SET//
</pre><br><font color=red> INHIBIT LOGONS?: NO// </font><pre>
LINK ACCESS?: YES//
OUT OF SERVICE?: NO//
REQUIRED VOLUME SET?: NO//
TASKMAN FILES UCI: EHR//
TASKMAN FILES VOLUME SET: EHR//
REPLACEMENT VOLUME SET:
DAYS TO KEEP OLD TASKS: 4//
SIGNON/PRODUCTION VOLUME SET: Yes//

</pre>

Disable Logins Problem

2006-09-21T21:10:04Z

Forummgr:

If you get a message like
"Sorry, all activity on this volume set is being halted! Try again later."
then you probably have had the flag for disabling logins set.

This flag is part of the patch process, and is part of the system management for a VistA system. Usually, a system manager has access to the system using programming mode, so it doesn't keep them from performing their work.

To change this flag, the following dialog may be helpful, specifically the line marked in RED :
<pre>
MUMPS>d Q^DI

VA FileMan 22.0

Select OPTION: 1 ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: VOLUME SET// volume set (1 entry)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL//

Select VOLUME SET: EHR
VOLUME SET: EHR//
TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE VOLUME SET//
</pre><br><font color=red> INHIBIT LOGONS?: NO// </red><pre>
LINK ACCESS?: YES//
OUT OF SERVICE?: NO//
REQUIRED VOLUME SET?: NO//
TASKMAN FILES UCI: EHR//
TASKMAN FILES VOLUME SET: EHR//
REPLACEMENT VOLUME SET:
DAYS TO KEEP OLD TASKS: 4//
SIGNON/PRODUCTION VOLUME SET: Yes//

</pre>

Disable Logins Problem

2006-09-21T21:09:38Z

Forummgr:

If you get a message like
"Sorry, all activity on this volume set is being halted! Try again later."
then you probably have had the flag for disabling logins set.

This flag is part of the patch process, and is part of the system management for a VistA system. Usually, a system manager has access to the system using programming mode, so it doesn't keep them from performing their work.

To change this flag, the following dialog may be helpful, specifically the line marked in RED :
<pre>
MUMPS>d Q^DI

VA FileMan 22.0

Select OPTION: 1 ENTER OR EDIT FILE ENTRIES

INPUT TO WHAT FILE: VOLUME SET// volume set (1 entry)
EDIT WHICH FIELD: ALL//

Select VOLUME SET: EHR
VOLUME SET: EHR//
TYPE: GENERAL PURPOSE VOLUME SET//
<font color=red> INHIBIT LOGONS?: NO// </red>
LINK ACCESS?: YES//
OUT OF SERVICE?: NO//
REQUIRED VOLUME SET?: NO//
TASKMAN FILES UCI: EHR//
TASKMAN FILES VOLUME SET: EHR//
REPLACEMENT VOLUME SET:
DAYS TO KEEP OLD TASKS: 4//
SIGNON/PRODUCTION VOLUME SET: Yes//

</pre>

Category:HowTo

2006-09-21T21:06:00Z

Forummgr:

The HowTo category of pages keep track of how to solve particular problems that might be encountered in running a VistA system, or in configuring one.

Main Page

2006-09-06T18:53:20Z

Forummgr:

This wiki covers questions regarding the VistA software, the various components of that software, and configuration and installation of the same. It incorporates information from many people. We have been repeatedly vandalized by people trying to advance their google page rank, hence this is now a closed community wiki.

To get access, contact David Whitten ( whitten at worldvista.org ) through an e-mail,
or phone 713 870 3834 to get an account.
Please send a contact telephone number with your e-mail, and/or
have an e-mail address ready when you call. (I need both.)
Please decide on your preferred User name.
We have provided a [[User Status|page]] for new users and their current status.
Thank you.

__TOC__

Configuration is the process of changing details about a VistA package.
These details are fine level controls over the behaviour of the package.

=== Overview of OpenVistA and VistA ===
* [[Basic Questions]]
* [[Frequently Asked Questions]]
* [[VistA System Components]]
* [[Documentation Overview]]
** [[Glossary of Terms]] ([[Glossary Template]])
* [[Programming Languages Overview]]
** [[MUMPS Overview]]
** [[Delphi Overview]]
** [[Java Overview]]
** [[SQL Overview]]
** [[XML Overview]]
* [[Programming VistA Issues]]
* [[FileMan Overview]] (with details also)
* [[Kernel Overview]]
* [[Operating Systems Overview]]
* [[VistA Packages Overview]]

=== Installation Guides ===
* [[Installation Overview]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Linux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/GT.M coLinux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux | Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux including VistALink (Java)]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/Cache]]
* [[Introducing OpenVistA VivA 0.1]]
* [[Hardware Issues]]
* [[CPRS Installation]]
* [[Victory Programmer Environment (VPE) Installation]]

=== Configuration of Packages ===
* [[Configuration Overview]]
* [[Register a Patient]]

=== Collaboration Tools ===
* [[OpenForum]]
* Message Board (read only): http://www.mail-archive.com/hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net/

* [[CHC Corner]] for ''' Community Health Centers ''' discussion/wish list/collaboration/etc.

* [[From Hardhats Listserve:]]

=== Volunteer Opportunities with WorldVistA ===
* [[Volunteer Coordinator]]
* [[Planning for VistA Advances]]
* [[Advocating VistA]]
* [[Documenting VistA]]
* [[Organization and Planning For VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Recording Results Of A VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Categorizing Needs For New VistA Packages]]
* [[Developing New VistA Packages]]
* [[Administration Of OpenForum]]
* [[VistA Community Weekly Conference Call]]

=== Working Groups ===
*[[Software Development (WG1)]]
** [[Education Team]]
*[[Implementation and Education (WG2)]]
*[[Finance (WG3)]]

=== Community Meeting ===
* [[VCM Boston 2005]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q2 2006]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q3 2006]]

=== Details about this page ===
To limit vandalism, this page has been write-protected. If you need to make modifications to this page,
contact DavidWhitten, who will help you make changes. Thank you for your support.
=== Details of this website's software ===

This Wiki is based on the mediawiki software. [[Unique Features of Forum Wiki]]

Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface]
and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

Editing help see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Editing#Sections.2C_paragraphs.2C_lists_and_lines

Software Development (WG1) Distribution (T1)

2006-08-09T18:43:24Z

Forummgr:

Software Development (WG1)

2006-08-09T18:42:47Z

Forummgr:

== Individual Team Pages/Progress ==
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Distribution (T1) | Distribution]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Patching (T2) | Patching]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Version Control (T3) | Version Control]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Configuration (T4) | Configuration]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) M2Web (T5) | M2Web]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Portability (T6) | Portability]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Modified/New Routines (T7) | Modified/New Routines]] ===
=== [[Software Development (WG1) Education (T8) | Education Team]] ===

== Historic Meetings ==
=== Seattle Meeting 12-May-2005 thru 15-May-2005 ===
==== Agenda ====
==== Summary of Results ====
=== Greenbelt Meeting 27-Oct-2005 thru 30-Oct-2005 ===

[http://www.worldvista.org/working-groups/software-development/meetings/20051027-Greenbelt Meeting Homepage]

ATTENDEES
*1.Ignacio Valdes
*2.Jim Self
*3.Brian Lord
*4.David Whitten
*5.Mark Amundson
*6.K.S. Bhaskar
*7.Maury Pepper
*8.Rick Marshall
*9.Dee Knapp
*10.Kevin Toppenberg
*11.Nancy Anthracite
*12.Chris Richardson
*13.Joseph Dal Molin
*14.Claudine Beron
*15.Bob Miller
*16.Robert DeWayne
*17.Frank Fukunaga
*18.David Shull
*19.Jeff Abbott (remotely)
*20.Norman Dodd (remotely)
*21.Steve Miysato (remotely)
*22.Larry Landis
<pre>
Enhancement@2:00pm Sunday, October 30, 2005
Name changed “WorldVistA EHR Plus”

Final Vote@4:30pm Saturday, October 29, 2005 (1 vote each, secret)
9 WorldVistA EHR
1 VistaLibre
1 VOICE
0 FreeVistA
3 CommunityVistA
1 WorldVistA

Preliminary Vote @ 3:30pm Saturday, October 29, 2005 (3 votes each, open)
4 WorldVistA
13 WorldVistA EHR
1 VistA EHR
1 Opensource VistA
5 VOICE
0 Buena VistA
1 EVistA
6 FreeVistA
0 FreeVistA EHR
0 International VistA
1 RealVistA
1 UnivistA
0 GrandeVista
0 WVistA
0 VistARx
1 Leonardo Da Vista
1 TrueVistA
1 VistAVera/VeraVistA
4 Community VistA
0 MyHealthyVistA
1 OneVistA/1VistA/VistAOne
0 VistA Revolutions
0 VistAXP
5 VistALibrA
0 VistAViva/VivaVista
0 VistA Gold
</pre>
PICTURES
<pre>
[[Image:Wiki.png|Caption text]]
</pre>

Main Page

2006-08-09T18:40:55Z

Forummgr:

This wiki covers questions regarding the OpenVistA and VistA software, the various components of that software, and configuration and installation of the same. It incorporates information from many people. We have been repeatedly vandalized by people trying to advance their google page rank, hence this is now a closed community wiki.

To get access, contact David Whitten ( whitten at worldvista.org ) through an e-mail,
or phone 713 870 3834 to get an account.
Please send a contact telephone number with your e-mail, and/or
have an e-mail address ready when you call. (I need both.)
Please decide on your preferred User name.
We have provided a [[User Status|page]] for new users and their current status.
Thank you.

__TOC__

Configuration is the process of changing details about a VistA package.
These details are fine level controls over the behaviour of the package.

=== Overview of OpenVistA and VistA ===
* [[Basic Questions]]
* [[Frequently Asked Questions]]
* [[VistA System Components]]
* [[Documentation Overview]]
** [[Glossary of Terms]] ([[Glossary Template]])
* [[Programming Languages Overview]]
** [[MUMPS Overview]]
** [[Delphi Overview]]
** [[Java Overview]]
** [[SQL Overview]]
** [[XML Overview]]
* [[Programming VistA Issues]]
* [[FileMan Overview]] (with details also)
* [[Kernel Overview]]
* [[Operating Systems Overview]]
* [[VistA Packages Overview]]

=== Installation Guides ===
* [[Installation Overview]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Linux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/GT.M coLinux]]
* [[Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux | Installation How To VistA GT.M Ubuntu Linux including VistALink (Java)]]
* [[Installation How To VistA/Cache]]
* [[Introducing OpenVistA VivA 0.1]]
* [[Hardware Issues]]
* [[CPRS Installation]]
* [[Victory Programmer Environment (VPE) Installation]]

=== Configuration of Packages ===
* [[Configuration Overview]]
* [[Register a Patient]]

=== Collaboration Tools ===
* [[OpenForum]]
* Message Board (read only): http://www.mail-archive.com/hardhats-members@lists.sourceforge.net/

* [[CHC Corner]] for ''' Community Health Centers ''' discussion/wish list/collaboration/etc.

* [[From Hardhats Listserve:]]

=== Volunteer Opportunities with WorldVistA ===
* [[Volunteer Coordinator]]
* [[Planning for VistA Advances]]
* [[Advocating VistA]]
* [[Documenting VistA]]
* [[Organization and Planning For VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Recording Results Of A VistA Community Meeting]]
* [[Categorizing Needs For New VistA Packages]]
* [[Developing New VistA Packages]]
* [[Administration Of OpenForum]]
* [[VistA Community Weekly Conference Call]]

=== Working Groups ===
*[[Software Development (WG1)]]
** [[Education Team]]
*[[Implementation and Education (WG2)]]
*[[Finance (WG3)]]

=== Community Meeting ===
* [[VCM Boston 2005]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q2 2006]]
* [[VistA Community Meeting Q3 2006]]

=== Details about this page ===
To limit vandalism, this page has been write-protected. If you need to make modifications to this page,
contact DavidWhitten, who will help you make changes. Thank you for your support.
=== Details of this website's software ===

This Wiki is based on the mediawiki software. [[Unique Features of Forum Wiki]]

Please see [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_i18n documentation on customizing the interface]
and the [http://meta.wikipedia.org/wiki/MediaWiki_User%27s_Guide User's Guide] for usage and configuration help.

Editing help see http://meta.wikimedia.org/wiki/Help:Editing#Sections.2C_paragraphs.2C_lists_and_lines

User Status

2006-04-05T19:31:24Z

Forummgr:

The WorldVista OpenForum Wiki welcomes the following users
to our support community about the VistA system:

User Name: [[User:Jazzy]] Given Name: Warren Kelly
User Name: [[User:Lobal]] Given Name: Lorie Obal
User Name: [[User:JimY]] Given Name: Jim Yahr
User Name: [[User:AEC]] Given Name: Ann Watermark
User Name: [[User:Rwxrwx]] Given Name: Tom Carter
User Name: [[User:Enrique]] Given Name: Enrique Meneses
User Name: [[User:Foxnetradio]] Given Name: Ed Brundage
User Name: [[User:RCR]] Given Name: Chris Richardson
User Name: [[User:Coliny]] Given Name: Colin Yang
User Name: [[User:EdmondCisse]] Given Name: Edmond Cisse
User Name: [[User:BenGuldborg]] Given Name: Ben Guldborg
User Name: [[User:DennisBallance]] Given Name: Dennis Ballance
User Name: [[User:LWells]] Given Name: Lee Wells
User Name: [[User:Leblum]] Given Name: Lee Ellen Buenconsejo-Lum
User Name: [[User:Mpzacharias]] Given Name: Michael Zacharias
User Name: [[User:Mshroed]] Given Name: Mark Schroeder
User Name: [[User:GraysonFerrante]] Given Name: Grayson Ferrante
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:Sribhat]] Given Name: Sridhar Bhat
User Name: [[User:RalphCraig]] Given Name: Ralph Craig
User Name: [[User:Hkanchiraju]] Given Name: Hanumanth Kanchiraju
User Name: [[User:ScottCasler]] Given Name: Scott Casler
User Name: [[User:Cdow]] Given Name: Chris Dow
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:BradyMiller]] Given Name: Brady Miller

Note: a user is taken off this list when they create their user page on the wiki.
To make this simpler, each name on this page links to the user page for that user.
These pages cannot be edited until someone successfully signs in, therefore,
until then, it is assumed that they have not successfully signed in.

We also are awaiting more information from the following potential users:
(we need #1 Given Name #2 User Name #3 e-mail address #4 telephone number )

* Ashfaq
* Marc Aylesworth
* Mike Ginsburg
* Terry Hamel

The following people are potential users of the wiki, because of messages
to the hard-hats mailing list, but have not actually requested user access.
If you are on this list, and do not intend to have a user login on this wiki,
I ask that you send e-mail to whitten at worldvista.org so that I may remove
your name from this list. If you already have a user login on the wiki,
feel free to remove your name.

* Mark Amundson
* Elsie Casugay
* Eva Delaney
* Roy Gaber
* Matthew King
* Marc Krawitz
* Greg Kreis
* Thomas Holloway
* Mark Painter
* Douglas M. Preiser
* Ruben Safir
* Richard Schilling

=== Successful Login ===
User Name: [[User:Mschrom]] Given Name: Mike Schrom
User Name: [[User:MadanBellam]] Given Name: Madan Bellam
User Name: [[User:WilliamGerken]] Given Name: William Gerken
User Name: [[User:Ismet]] Given Name: Ismet B. Kursunoglu
User Name: [[User:Mukachi]] Given Name: Muthia Kachirayan

User Status

2006-03-27T17:23:53Z

Forummgr:

The WorldVista OpenForum Wiki welcomes the following users
to our support community about the VistA system:

User Name: [[User:Rwxrwx]] Given Name: Tom Carter
User Name: [[User:Enrique]] Given Name: Enrique Meneses
User Name: [[User:Foxnetradio]] Given Name: Ed Brundage
User Name: [[User:RCR]] Given Name: Chris Richardson
User Name: [[User:Coliny]] Given Name: Colin Yang
User Name: [[User:EdmondCisse]] Given Name: Edmond Cisse
User Name: [[User:BenGuldborg]] Given Name: Ben Guldborg
User Name: [[User:DennisBallance]] Given Name: Dennis Ballance
User Name: [[User:LWells]] Given Name: Lee Wells
User Name: [[User:Leblum]] Given Name: Lee Ellen Buenconsejo-Lum
User Name: [[User:Mpzacharias]] Given Name: Michael Zacharias
User Name: [[User:Mshroed]] Given Name: Mark Schroeder
User Name: [[User:GraysonFerrante]] Given Name: Grayson Ferrante
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:Sribhat]] Given Name: Sridhar Bhat
User Name: [[User:RalphCraig]] Given Name: Ralph Craig
User Name: [[User:Hkanchiraju]] Given Name: Hanumanth Kanchiraju
User Name: [[User:ScottCasler]] Given Name: Scott Casler
User Name: [[User:Cdow]] Given Name: Chris Dow
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:BradyMiller]] Given Name: Brady Miller

Note: a user is taken off this list when they create their user page on the wiki.
To make this simpler, each name on this page links to the user page for that user.
These pages cannot be edited until someone successfully signs in, therefore,
until then, it is assumed that they have not successfully signed in.

We also are awaiting more information from the following potential users:
(we need #1 Given Name #2 User Name #3 e-mail address #4 telephone number )

* Ashfaq
* Marc Aylesworth
* Mike Ginsburg
* Terry Hamel

The following people are potential users of the wiki, because of messages
to the hard-hats mailing list, but have not actually requested user access.
If you are on this list, and do not intend to have a user login on this wiki,
I ask that you send e-mail to whitten at worldvista.org so that I may remove
your name from this list. If you already have a user login on the wiki,
feel free to remove your name.

* Mark Amundson
* Elsie Casugay
* Eva Delaney
* Roy Gaber
* Matthew King
* Marc Krawitz
* Greg Kreis
* Thomas Holloway
* Mark Painter
* Douglas M. Preiser
* Ruben Safir
* Richard Schilling

=== Successful Login ===
User Name: [[User:Mschrom]] Given Name: Mike Schrom
User Name: [[User:MadanBellam]] Given Name: Madan Bellam
User Name: [[User:WilliamGerken]] Given Name: William Gerken
User Name: [[User:Ismet]] Given Name: Ismet B. Kursunoglu
User Name: [[User:Mukachi]] Given Name: Muthia Kachirayan

User Status

2006-03-24T21:28:46Z

Forummgr:

The WorldVista OpenForum Wiki welcomes the following users
to our support community about the VistA system:

User Name: [[User:Foxnetradio]] Given Name: Ed Brundage
User Name: [[User:RCR]] Given Name: Chris Richardson
User Name: [[User:Coliny]] Given Name: Colin Yang
User Name: [[User:EdmondCisse]] Given Name: Edmond Cisse
User Name: [[User:BenGuldborg]] Given Name: Ben Guldborg
User Name: [[User:DennisBallance]] Given Name: Dennis Ballance
User Name: [[User:LWells]] Given Name: Lee Wells
User Name: [[User:Leblum]] Given Name: Lee Ellen Buenconsejo-Lum
User Name: [[User:Mpzacharias]] Given Name: Michael Zacharias
User Name: [[User:Mshroed]] Given Name: Mark Schroeder
User Name: [[User:GraysonFerrante]] Given Name: Grayson Ferrante
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:Sribhat]] Given Name: Sridhar Bhat
User Name: [[User:RalphCraig]] Given Name: Ralph Craig
User Name: [[User:Hkanchiraju]] Given Name: Hanumanth Kanchiraju
User Name: [[User:ScottCasler]] Given Name: Scott Casler
User Name: [[User:Cdow]] Given Name: Chris Dow
User Name: [[User:Gmartinson]] Given Name: Greg Martinson
User Name: [[User:BradyMiller]] Given Name: Brady Miller

Note: a user is taken off this list when they create their user page on the wiki.
To make this simpler, each name on this page links to the user page for that user.
These pages cannot be edited until someone successfully signs in, therefore,
until then, it is assumed that they have not successfully signed in.

We also are awaiting more information from the following potential users:
(we need #1 Given Name #2 User Name #3 e-mail address #4 telephone number )

* Ashfaq
* Marc Aylesworth
* Tom Carter
* Mike Ginsburg
* Terry Hamel
* Enrique Meneses
* Ben Guldborg
The following people are potential users of the wiki, because of messages
to the hard-hats mailing list, but have not actually requested user access.
If you are on this list, and do not intend to have a user login on this wiki,
I ask that you send e-mail to whitten at worldvista.org so that I may remove
your name from this list. If you already have a user login on the wiki,
feel free to remove your name.

* Mark Amundson
* Elsie Casugay
* Eva Delaney
* Roy Gaber
* Matthew King
* Marc Krawitz
* Greg Kreis
* Thomas Holloway
* Mark Painter
* Douglas M. Preiser
* Ruben Safir
* Richard Schilling

=== Successful Login ===
User Name: [[User:Mschrom]] Given Name: Mike Schrom
User Name: [[User:MadanBellam]] Given Name: Madan Bellam
User Name: [[User:WilliamGerken]] Given Name: William Gerken
User Name: [[User:Ismet]] Given Name: Ismet B. Kursunoglu
User Name: [[User:Mukachi]] Given Name: Muthia Kachirayan