Random Thoughts

May 29, 2013

VistA Community Meeting

• Two major foci:– the announcement by Secretary

Hagel that the DoD would request proposals from the commercial vendors

–How the VA is going to take in external software

DoD EHR

• Not closed to VistA, just open to commercial options

• Didn’t mention iEHR, just “core EHR components”

• Two main reactions:– Politically expedient to prevent

protests–DoD is still reacting with a NIH

attitude

VA Software Acceptance

• Panel discussion of when and how

• Questions remain:– Prohibition of the government

accepting ‘free gifts’– Specific mechanism is still

unclear – example: Openinfobutton

Hippocrates once observed, “It’s more important to know what sort of person hasa disease than to know what sortof disease aperson has.” 

Patient-Centered Care