On Sun, 5 Jan 2003, Adrian Midgley wrote:

> >   Have you ever tried to export data stored in VistA?
> http://www.hardhats.org/tools/extract/data_extractors.html
> looks to me as though someone has given it serious thought.

Adrian,
  After reviewing the data_extractors howto above, would you agree that
there may be motivation to think "beyond VistA"?

> >   How about creating a new screen for data entry or adding data elements
> > to the schema?
> >   There just have to be better ways to support these functions!
>
> One of the areas that might be expected to develop is a front end which makes
> it easier to generate M code to do such things.

Two questions that come to mind:

1) how hard would it be to develop a more user-friendly front-end to do
these things?
2) is M code the best "interface" between the front-end and the backend?

> Against that, those who have learnt M seem to be productive directly in it.

Maybe there is priesthood phenomenom here? M continues to present a
significant barrier-to-entry. Esiobjects (esiobjects.org) may change this.

Does anyone know whether Esiobjects can be used to modify legacy M code,
like those in VistA?

> But building connections is more sensible and less likely to fail hugely than
> starting from scratch - this is a message repeated many times in the
> evaluation of large IT projects, usually as part of a storm of recrimination
> over a failed new implementation.

I don't think anyone would categorically oppose connecting their software
system to VistA. The questions are how and how hard.

Best regards,

Andrew
---
Andrew P. Ho, M.D.
OIO: Open Infrastructure for Outcomes
www.TxOutcome.Org (Hosting OIO Library #1 and OSHCA Mirror #1)


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