Medsphere's GUI Now Open Source

HDM Breaking News, November 13, 2008

Electronic health records vendor Medsphere Corp. has released most components of its VueCentric graphical user interface to the open source market.

The Carlsbad, Calif.-based company is retooling 10-15% of the components to make them open source-compatible, a task that will be done "in short order," says Michael Doyle, president and CEO.

Medsphere previously sold OpenVista, a commercialized version of the Department of Veterans Affairs' VistA information system. New management took over the vendor a year ago determined to make it an open source company.

Last May, the company released on the open source market the source code of OpenVista. That means software developers and others can download the clinical system and server source code and do with it as they wish. Medsphere asks that they communicate updates to the company so they can be shared with others.

In releasing the source code of OpenVista, Medsphere changed its business model from licensing software to generating revenue by offering support and expertise. Now, it is doing the same with the VueCentric graphical user interface.

Medsphere also has signed a new contract with the federal Indian Health Service to continue providing support and development services for the agency's EHR, called Resource Patient Management System. The multi-year contract is valued at $9.7 million.

RPMS is available for free through a Freedom of Information Act request. Most of its source code is available, "but it is not open source in the true sense of the word," Doyle says. He hopes that over time, RPMS together with VueCentric will be available and used beyond Indian Health Service.

More information is available at medsphere.com.

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