Have you had a look at VistA with the new IB 280 and 232 patches added and if so, does it have any effect on what you did?
On Thursday 11 November 2004 08:40 pm, Richard wrote: > I built a general purpose VistA extraction/COTS integration system for the > VA that was initially for the purpose of billing outpatient clinic visits > for DoD personnel. The system was initially interfaced to a Physician > Office Practice system called PARADIGM. PARADIGM runs on a UNIX box and is > in widespread use in the US today. > > On the VistA side, the system was designed to allow FileMan users to select > data elements from anywhere in the VistA database. Then, the system would > do data extraction directly using FileMan Data Dictionary information to > build the low level global references for fastest possible data extraction. > > The system uses its own low level transaction protocol over serial or > ethernet connections to to send data in 'transaction' units with high > reliability and protection against data loss. All data elements are > transferred as 'labeled' data, that is, 'name value' and 'data value' pairs > in the fashion of XML. > > Semantic mapping from VistA data elements to external system data elements > is managed by FileMan based specifications that allows the system to map > easily into external systems at the highest symbolic level. Thus, > accomodating unanticipated external databases is handled easily. > > While optimized for data extration and transfer to an external system, for > billing specifically in the initial development phase, the sytem has a > basic data import capability from the external system. Since FileMan data > storage was used for this import functionality, the performance there is > significantly below operationally realistic levels for large batches of > transactions. However, the import is reliable and valid since FileMan is > doing all the checking of incoming data. > > The system was operationally installed and used at the original development > site, Asheville VAMC and then later at the Minneapolis VAMC. > > Since the system is set up using File Man maintained specifications, it > then generates its own low level global access code, no "hooks" are > involved. It is fully "open", and designed to accommodate any external > system. The ability of this system to integrate with a given external > system is only limited by the ability of that external system to > accommodate the data element naming used in VistA and the extenal system. > For PARADIGM, the first integration with the PARADIGM system was > accomplished by me and the PARADIGM developer in one business week. That of > course was greatly facilitated by the wisdom of UNIX O/S design and the > excellent design skills of the PARADIGM developer. > > One caveat--the VistA side software I designed and developed is best able > to accommodate "ATOMIC" data elements. That is, data elements without any > information overloading or IMPLICIT relationships to other data elements. > If you must handle 'subtly complex' data elements (yes, I know it is an > oxymoron, but then many VistA developers and/or their supervisors were > morons), then you will be obliged to solve these problems at the higher > levels of abstraction on the external system side to avoid having to > produce additional VistA side M code. > > The system is relatively small, highly "open", accessible for management to > non-programmers for both initialization and routine operations, and proven > in two different VAMC environments. This is one VistA/COTS system you want > to check out. The system manual is fairly comprehensive, covering > operations, design architecture and principles of operations. > > Regards, > > Richard Davis > > Mformation SYStems Co. > > 913-317-8840 > > -----Original Message----- > > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [ > <mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of K. S. > Bhaskar > > Sent: Friday, November 05, 2004 7:35 AM > > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Subject: [Hardhats-members] Interfacing VistA to billing > > > > I think this question was previously asked on the hardhats list at > > topica.com, but the search capability there seems to be down, so please > > excuse the duplication. I am asking on behalf of someone who is > > currently traveling with limited access to e-mail. > > What are VistA's billing / practice management capabilities vis-a-vis > > needs of non-VA institutions in the US? [I presume the answer is > > primitive, but thought I should ask.] > > In implementing VistA outside the VA, what billing / practice management > > systems has VistA been interfaced to? > > What hooks exist in VistA for creating an interface to an external > > billing / practice management system? > > Thank you very much. > > Regards > > -- Bhaskar -- Nancy Anthracite ------------------------------------------------------- This SF.Net email is sponsored by: Sybase ASE Linux Express Edition - download now for FREE LinuxWorld Reader's Choice Award Winner for best database on Linux. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=5588&alloc_id=12065&op=click _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
