Glossary

Over the years, VistA has developed its own language. This glossary will help you understand some of the terms peculiar to the system.

ADPAC – Automatic Data Processing Application Coordinator. This is a fancy way of defining an application expert in the VA system.

ADPAC – Automatic Data Processing Application Coordinators

ADT – Admission, Discharge, Transfer - the ADT package of VistA is used by hospitals.

API – Application Programmer Interfaces

CAC – Clinical Application Coordinator. A CAC is trained in ways to customize vxVistA in many ways, including creating or editing note templates, order sets, menus and so on.

CBOC – Community Based Outpatient Clinics

CHUI – Character Based User Interface; it's another way to refer to the text-base menu interface of the original VistA, or the roll and scroll interface.

CNT – Clinical Note Templates

CPRS – Computerized Patient Records System

CPT – Current Procedural Terminology, a system of codes developed and copyrighted by the American Medical Association.

DLL – Dynamic Link Library

FileMan – FileMan is the VistA Database Management System that underlies much of the functionality of the VistA system."

FOIA – Freedom Of Information Act. This law empowers US citizens to demand disclosure of government information. A 'FOIA' request was the mechanism by which the Veteran's Administration's VistA source code was first released into the public domain. "FOIA" VistA is now now periodically updated by the VA and forms the basis for several VistA distributions, including vxVistA.

GUI – Graphical User Interface This is an old-school term that distinguished the ""text only"" user interfaces of the past from the Window-based interfaces popularized by Apple Macintosh(R) and Microsoft Windows(R). Examples of ""GUI"" vxVistA tools include vxCPRS and vxBCMA."

GUI Templates – vxCPRS built-in templates

HL7 – Health Level Seven

ICD-9 – International Classification of Diseases (9th revision)

ISP – Internet Service Provider

KIDS – Kernal Installation and Distribution System

LAN – Local Area Network

LEDI – Lab Electronic Data Interchange

LOINC – Logical Observation Identifiers and Codes

M – another name for the MUMPS programming language.

MPI – Master Patient Index

MUMPS (M) – The programming language used to create most of the VistA system functionality. MUMPS stands for Massachusetts General Hospital Utility Multi-Programming System. It was developed at the Massachusetts General Hospital specifically for medical computing and storing medical records.

PACS – Picture Archiving and Communications System

PAMS – Patient Account Management System for Billing Facility Charges and Professional Fees

PBM – Pharmacy Benefits Management

PCE – Patient Care Encounter

Roll and Scroll – The character-based menu interface to many of the components of the vxVistA system.

RPC Broker – Remote Procedure Call broker

TIU – Text Integration Utility

UI – User Interface

VDL – VistA Document Library, maintained by the VA

"VistA – An acronym for ""Veterans Integrated System Technology Architecture"""

VistA – Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture.

vxACM – Audit Compliance Module

vxCNT – Clinical Note Template tool for generating progress notes

vxDocManager – Scanning and indexing solution

vxGroup Notes – Note writing tool to efficiently document group therapy sessions that have common text combined with personal statements for each patient in the group

vxMHTP – Multidisciplinary Mental Health Treatment Planning tool and Reporter

vxPAT – Provider Assistive Templates

vxROI – Release of Information Software for releasing all or part of the medical record

WAN – Wide Area Network