Rich makes an excellent case for the kind of changes that would lead to a higher probability of success. Here are a couple of articles that describe to a "T" many of the reasons how and why we succeeded with DHCP, ne VistA (years ago when packages were re-tooled every 6 to 18 months) . and are terribly bogged down today, some 12 years after a "no new versions" direction and some 6 years after "a single Waterfall is the only SDLC [Software Development Life Cycle] to be used." www.adtmag.com/article.asp?id=10856
also http://www-106.ibm.com/developerworks/rational/library/content/RationalEdge/ feb02/ProcessForOneFeb02.pdf (of course, should all be on one line) for lightweight RUP. For those who have been involved in the culture that led to VistA, this will sound very familiar. BTW, the number of tables (files and sub-files in VistA) is currently 6250 in the formally released set of software. And there are currently 53,162 columns (called fields in VistA). There are about 22,900 routines (some systems will have far more if they've added local code and have not removed old versions of nationally released software). Of those routines, there are 1,317 APIs that are approved for common use (think "Common Services" though not in the www sense). There are 9,451 Options that can be assigned to users according to role-based access. To be useful indeed as Rich states: more encapsulation, more api's, and more programmer's documentation. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 3:01 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times I think M is easier to learn than many computer languages. Certainly easier than ADA, and probably easier than Java, or Delphi/Pascal. The complex part about becoming a truly proficient Vista programmer is the shear size of it, under the hood. We're talking 12,000 files, 60,000 fields, and maybe 100,000 routines. Not all well-documented, and done in many different programming styles. Old style, new style, structured, unstructured, single-letter variable names, meaningful variable names. The toughest programming job in Vista is not writing new programs, but modifying existing programs and files in a way that does not cause unexpected side-effects, because things can be so intertwined, and not well-documented, under the hood. The thing I would have liked to have seen more of, as I've watched and participated (in a small way)in the evolution of Vista over the past 14 years, is more encapsulation, more api's, and more programmer's documentation. But, all in all I think M is an excellent database platform, and I would prefer to see the VA evolve the current product, rather than move to something completely different, for a main HIS. I think they should look at commercial ancillary systems, like: cardiology, GI, eye-care, PFT, Dialysis, etc. and make it easier to integrate them with Vista, but keep and evolve the core HIS. -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] Behalf Of Gordon Moreshead Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 3:59 PM To: [email protected] Subject: RE: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times Nancy, That appears to me to be a highly perceptive take on the situation that includes considerable truth as well. I would second your observations and perceptions. Gordon -----Original Message----- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Nancy Anthracite Sent: Wednesday, April 13, 2005 1:53 PM To: [email protected] Subject: Re: [Hardhats-members] BIG NEWS re HealtheVet- St. Petersburg Times I am afraid that part in the report that said that " VA culture inhibits "raising risks, issues, problems or differing opinions" translates into people will be risking their jobs to talk to you and be quoted. However, a search through the Hardhats archives will reveal some who have taken the chance and have spoken out on the mailing list despite knowing that it is risky to stick out your neck where others may be watching. My take on it is that the M programmers and others within the VA and on the outside are eager to have an opportunity to do what they have wanted to do but have been prevented from doing for years, which is to work on re-engineering the existing VistA, still in M, to modularize it and clean up the code to make some of the very things that management complains about regarding VistA go away. No only would that remove some of the complaints about about VistA ("it takes $1,000,000 to change a line of code") but it would make it easier to port to another language should that ever need to be done. This concept that there are not enough M programmers so it can't be done is bogus. In my experience, programmers know multiple languages and M as easy to learn as any other. If there are so few M programmers, how is it that other large M based medical record systems persist and new ones get made but the VA can't do that? I also think that many of the changes that are being made that tap into VistA to get data are supported by the programmers, maybe in the form they are in or something different, but allowing Java based programs to make use of the data in the M Database is all well and good - a multilayered architecture is not opposed by those I have discussed this with. However, there is something to the fact that the people who best know VistA are getting older and it is time to let them direct the job they are so eager to do and let them fix VistA. Maybe this will be the kick in the pants for everyone that might allow this to happen. On Wednesday 13 April 2005 02:24 pm, Joseph Conn wrote: > Any Hardhats/WorldVistA folks want to comment on this Carnegie report story > for a story I'm working on??? I've got calls into the VA for comment. > > Joseph Conn > Staff writer > Modern Physician > ModernPhysician.com > Modern Physician STAT > Heatlh IT Strategist > 312-649-5395 > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > Check out the NEW ModernPhysician.com, and register now for Modern > Physician Stat and Modern Physician Alert > > >>> [EMAIL PROTECTED] 04/13/05 11:53AM >>> > > VA faces another computer problem > By PAUL DE LA GARZA and STEPHEN NOHLGREN Published April 13, 2005 > > A report done for the administration suggests that the VA's > multibillion-dollar plan to upgrade its system is "not realistic." > > A $3.5-billion computer overhaul at veterans hospitals across the country > is poised to fail unless the Department of Veterans Affairs makes drastic > changes, according to a closely guarded government study obtained by the > St. Petersburg Times . > http://www.sptimes.com/2005/04/13/Worldandnation/VA_faces_another_comp.shtm >l -- Nancy Anthracite ------------------------------------------------------- SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. 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Start reading now. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_id=6595&alloc_id=14396&op=click _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members ------------------------------------------------------- SF email is sponsored by - The IT Product Guide Read honest & candid reviews on hundreds of IT Products from real users. Discover which products truly live up to the hype. Start reading now. http://ads.osdn.com/?ad_ide95&alloc_id396&op=click _______________________________________________ Hardhats-members mailing list [email protected] https://lists.sourceforge.net/lists/listinfo/hardhats-members
