Open Source for Patient Records

This is the great question of eDR and eMR... Will it ever be open source? At least it seems like it is going that way to a point.

VA CIO: 'When we get it done, it will be open source'

http://www.healthcareitnews.com/news/va-cio-when-we-get-it-done-it-will-be-open-source

VA Offices state that they will be open source after their implementations.

"VA is developing an open source track to modernize its VistA electronic health record and will incorporate the approach with DOD in the joint system. DOD has become more excited by open source and “sees it as a strong contributor as we move ahead,” said Roger Baker, VA CIO.

How did they reach the objectives? By making the vendors comply with the institutions.

"VA and DOD are also requesting that vendors with proprietary standards move them into the public domain or assure that they are publicly available if they want to be used so that both departments can rely on them to communicate and exchange information."

That is a big step but the question is to what extent with vendors do that? Will the private sector head that direction? I believe once a mandate has been established, records will head to that direction.

One thing of concern is that my selection of technology to apply into offices have to be thought out. My analogy is getting BetaMax instead of VHS.. Token compare to Ethernet. Trying to ensure that the technology gets it ROI and minimize re-investment of technology into my clients and my company.