Economics of WorldVistA: Advocacy called for to deliver interoperability in EMRs

Dr. Stephan Foreman, RMU health care economist, identified the electronic medical record (EMR) as a “public good,” a “marketplace” for information about patients. Foreman observed that the public wants EMR systems to communicate with other, a goal that is furthered by VistA and WorldVistA, but not necessarily by commercial organizations. He sees VistA and WorldVistA as solutions in a situation where profit markets have difficulty delivering standardization and interoperability. Foreman emphasized that EMRs other than VistA offered on the WorldVistA model are too expensive for primary care practice physicians and too expensive for educational institutions wanting to use EMRs in the education of health care professionals. Foreman called for advocacy to further WorldVistA’s goals and pointed out how the public has been served by standards and interoperability in highways, railroads, and in other domains.

WorldVistA Education Conference participants attended demonstrations of the VA’s Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS), VistA’s database technology (FileMan), and other topics.

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If you would like more information about the First WorldVistA Education Conference, or to schedule an interview contact:

Contact: Joseph Dal Molin, VP Business Development
Tel.: 416.232.1206
Email: dalmolin@worldvista.org