Modernizing VistA: Enabling Scalable Interoperability In A Legacy System

The Department of Veterans Affairs is in the midst of an evolution as it continues efforts to modernize and ensure the long-term viability of VistA to meet the healthcare needs of the nation’s military veterans. The Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture is the VA’s enterprise electronic health record system that tracks clinical treatment and care information. Upgrading it is a major undertaking with a significant impact on healthcare facilities across the VA, from both clinical and technology standpoints.

While the technical challenges are formidable, leveraging cutting-edge tools and platforms can be part of the solution for achieving fast, secure and scalable interoperability within the mission-critical legacy system. However, the needs of clinical staff must remain paramount in designing solutions. A seemingly elegant systems architecture, for instance, is not viable unless it enables maximum efficiency for the providers who use it to treat the nation’s veterans. Thus, two technology approaches could have substantial effects on performance...