Open Source Version Will Greatly Increase Appeal for Non-Profits, Developing Nations
ST. PAUL, MN � (February 20, 2006) � CodeWeavers, Inc., the leading Windows-to-Linux software developer, and WorldVistA, a U.S. non-profit organization, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at making low-cost healthcare management software more freely available worldwide. As the centerpiece of that partnership, CodeWeavers is porting the CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) component of VistA, a free electronic health records software application developed by the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, for use on Linux open source computers.
CodeWeavers� version of the VistA CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) graphical user interface will be promoted by WorldVistA to non-profits as well as healthcare providers in developing nations around the world. The goal of the two organizations is to increase the viability of implementing VistA, thereby giving providers the same capabilities in records management enjoyed by their better-funded counterparts in the industrialized West.
VistA (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture), a robust and proven client-server application, has been used and continuously improved by the VA since the mid 1980’s to support high-quality medical care for military veterans in the United States. Available for free public use via the U.S. Freedom of Information Act, VistA and its accompanying CPRS is of great value to healthcare organizations that cannot afford the immense cost of proprietary commercial alternatives.
CPRS (Computerized Patient Record System) is the primary physician interface for VistA. Currently available only for Windows, CPRS is being converted for Linux by CodeWeavers using the company�s well-known CrossOver Office� Windows-to-Linux porting technology.
�VistA is a truly world-class healthcare application that can have a major impact on the quality of healthcare globally,� said Jonathan Parshall, chief operating officer of CodeWeavers, Inc. �One of the biggest challenges in healthcare today is the lack of collaboration among healthcare providers due to an incompatible technical infrastructure. VistA excels in this area, especially in the dissemination of treatment protocols and other therapeutic guidelines.�
�Providing a Linux option for non-profit healthcare organizations in the U.S. and elsewhere will be significant for the development of VistA,� said Maury Pepper, chairman of WorldVistA. �Because Linux is a free operating system, non-profits will have a much easier time implementing VistA in their clinics with a Linux-based CPRS. Because of our partnership with CodeWeavers, we believe the VistA bandwagon will really begin to pick up steam in coming months and years.�
CodeWeavers� CrossOver Office is widely considered to be the leading Windows-to-Linux porting utility. The application has made it possible for scores of top-name commercial software products, from the Microsoft Office suite to Microsoft Outlook, Visio, and Internet Explorer, Macromedia�s Photoshop and Dreamweaver, Intuit�s Quicken and Quickbooks, and Lotus Notes, to run natively under Linux without the need for a Windows license.
Over 85% of the VistA CPRS operated out-of-the-box on Linux using CrossOver Office. Remaining functionality is being facilitated by CodeWeavers programming specialists, with completion expected in the very near future.
According to Parshall, CodeWeavers is currently evaluating a pricing model that will enable healthcare organizations to acquire a CPRS-specific version of CrossOver Office at little to no cost. In developing nations, final pricing will likely reflect a needs assessment of the particular organization.
Availability of the Linux CPRS for VistA will be announced on the WorldVistA web site when ready. For more information, log on to www.worldvista.org.
About WorldVistA:
WorldVistA seeks to make healthcare information technology more affordable and more widely available worldwide. In particular, WorldVistA is focused on further developing and supporting the growing global VistA community.
WorldVistA was formed to extend and improve the VistA health information system for use outside of its original setting. The system was developed by the U.S. government for use in its veterans’ hospitals and outpatient clinics. WorldVistA has a number of development efforts aimed at adding new software modules such as pediatrics, obstetrics, and other functions not used in the veterans’ healthcare setting.
WorldVistA seeks to help those who choose to adopt the VistA system to successfully master, install, and maintain the software for their own use. WorldVistA will strive to guide VistA adopters and programmers towards developing a community based on principles of open, collaborative, peer review software development and dissemination. Visit www.worldvista.org.
About CodeWeavers, Inc.:
Founded in 1996 as a general software consultancy, CodeWeavers today focuses on the development of Wine and other Linux programming solutions. The company�s goal is to bring expanded market opportunities for Windows software developers by making it easier, faster, and more painless to port Windows software to Linux. CodeWeavers is recognized as a leader in open-source Windows porting technology, and maintains development offices in Minnesota, California, the Netherlands, and Germany. The company is privately held. For more information about CodeWeavers, log on to www.codeweavers.com.