Where do I Start
Contents
Depends on who you are!!
VistA is many things to many people. In order to help you get what you want from VistA, we need to know a little more about you. Depending on what kind of VistA user you are, this system will provide documentation that will be relevant to you.
Evaluators
You are an evaluator if you are considering using VistA. The Evaluator page will help you to determine if VistA is right for you. This is a place to get an honest evaluation of VistA's strengths and weaknesses. (Granted, we are biased.)
Users with Technical Interests
Vendor
You are a Vendor if you are hoping to make money supporting VistA. This section will cover the technology behind VistA in-depth and stepwise. Look here if you want to learn about the technologies that VistA relies on, and how to install, configure and support a VistA system.
MUMPSter
If you already know MUMPS you have a huge leg up in learning VistA! This section will give you the deep technical references to get you deeper into the system fast.
Novice Programmer
If you understand the fundamentals of C/C++/Java/PHP/Python but you are a novice to MUMPS then this is the page for you. This section will give you an introduction to MUMPS, which is the critical first step to becoming a competent VistA developer.
Clinical Users
Clinical Users of VistA do not necessarily need to know the complex details of what makes VistA tick. While you should probably understand the Basic VistA Architecture you really do not need to know much more about the VistA server itself. To you VistA will largely be an application called CPRS. This application is a powerful front end to VistA that will vary based on what kind of user you are.
Physician VistA User
If you are a physician and you are interested in using VistA to improve the quality of your care, this is a good place to start.
Nurse VistA User
You are a nurse who is interested in using VistA to better care for your patients
Pharmacist VistA User
If you are a pharmacist and you are interested in improving the way you handle medications with VistA, then this page is for you. There is currently no GUI for the pharmacy interface, rather an advanced text interface is used.
