Then I guess I'm somewhat surprised that the US government isn't actively solving the health information technology problem that has been so eloquently described on numerous occasions ("one jumbo jet crashing every day") with the lowest cost, best piece of software for the job. After all, if the government pays for healthcare, it can also actively exert control over its quality.

Right now, the VA is really at the forefront of information technology-based patient safety initiatives, yet there does not appear to be the tiniest inclination on the part of anyone at all in the US government to extrapolate these life-saving initiatives outside the VA.

In addition, correct me if I am wrong, but I believe VistA has been attacked again and again in Congress by representatives swayed by lobbying from VistA's opponents.

And incidentally, I know that Octo et al are Americans, I just wish that their initiatives had been adopted nation-wide by the US government.


On Thursday, January 23, 2003, at 01:37 AM, Cecil O. Lynch, MD wrote:

Absolutely true. Not only was VistA developed from US Congressional

funding, it was inspired by USA VA doctors and administrators who are

paid by the US government, in a language developed by a team of USA

doctors at Mass General funded by the USA NIH and maintained by VA

programmers paid from the US Treasury.


-----Original Message-----
From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
Sent: Wednesday, January 22, 2003 9:30 PM
To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Subject: Re: Greenbelt, MD meeting; VistA rollout plan template

<<I think all it takes is one major country throwing its resources behind�
VistA and the rest is history.� Certainly, the good old US of A is not�
the right country.� Quite the contrary.� If VistA had to depend on the�
US Gov for its survival, it would be long dead.>>

If it were not for the US government (in the form of the Veterans Administration) paying for the years and years of development, VISTA would not exist today.� As a matter of fact, if it weren't for the VAs persistent spending on VISTA it would have died long ago.

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