Devil is in the Open-Source Details

Although the Veterans Affairs and Defense departments are equally committed to deploying a joint electronic health record system in the next four to six years, the VA is more enthusiastic about the role of open-source development in the process, according to  VA CIO Roger Baker.

“It is clear the VA is wholeheartedly embracing it [open-source development], while the DOD views it as an asset,” Baker told reporters in a conference call on May 27.

The VA currently is seeking a custodial agent to operate an open-source development ecosystem to modernize its longstanding Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) digital medical records system. The custodial agent is expected to be in place in two months, Baker said.