Open Source: What & Why
Two fundamental realities drive Medsphere’s use of open source technology. First, software is a commodity, which elevates the importance of services and creates a mutually beneficial relationship between vendor and customer that is lacking in the proprietary model. Medsphere uses commercially enhanced open source software and the contributions of hundreds of healthcare professionals as a platform for professional services that produce operational, financial, and clinical transformation. Second, like the provision of medical care, open source is an inherently collaborative process that is improved by the coordinated sharing of information as part of a community of practice. As a custodian of the source code, Medsphere provides safe, reliable, and timely enhancements to the OpenVista enterprise solution, making it possible to build customized healthcare improvement technology that enables better patient care. Medsphere regularly makes our source code available to the public through www.medsphere.org. For a more detailed explanation of the benefits of open source, please refer to the Medsphere white paper “Transforming Healthcare Through Open Source.”