Jordan Picks Perot Systems to Implement VistA

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan has selected Perot Systems to manage the pilot deployment of VistA - an open source clinical and healthcare information management system - at two hospitals and a clinic in the capital, Amman.

Jordan is recognised as providing one of the highest standards of healthcare in the region. The country also has a rapidly growing IT sector that is gaining a reputable status in the region. King Abdullah II's vision is to continue to build on these successes by establishing an effective, integrated national healthcare infrastructure using a single software platform. The project goes hand in hand with building an educational programme around VistA's technical and clinical processes with the goal of allowing Jordan to become self-sustainable in managing their health management information system and enabling them to take this offering to their neighbours in the region.

'Perot Systems' reputation as the leading healthcare technology solutions provider is very strong in the United States. When we were looking to initiate this project, we were first and foremost looking for a company that has the resources and capabilities to handle a national rollout of this project and become our partner. Perot Systems is that company,' stated Dr Rami Farraj, chairperson of the board of directors of E-Health Solutions, the non-profit Jordanian company that was entrusted with achieving this national goal.

The VistA based health infrastructure, processes and knowledge offers a high quality, cost effective solution, which will transform Jordan's national healthcare system. The transformation will benefit the country by helping to: digitise hospitals and clinics, helping to reduce cost and increase the quality of healthcare achieve self-sufficiency in the support of its healthcare ICT infrastructure become a role model for the region and other developing countries discover, track and manage at the highest levels healthcare patterns, problems, issues, diseases, protocols and trends in the region provide a large amount of real and live clinical data for research on the diseases in the Middle East.

'The VistA Electronic Health Record, which for years has been used extensively by the United States Department of Veterans Affairs. This pilot project with the Kingdom of Jordan should enable the efficiency of the system to be maximised as well as helping to deliver improved clinical outcomes for the citizens of Jordan. We are very excited to be involved in this ground-breaking project with the Jordanians,' stated Dr Kevin Fickenscher, executive vice president and managing director for Perot Systems' International Healthcare.