One of the key features of VCS
is its distributed object based foundation. The system's distributed nature
allows users (doctors, lab technicians, data entry personnel, etc.) to access
and modify the data they are interested in easily and intuitively, assuming they
have the requisite permissions. The fact that the distribution mechanism is
based on objects rather than a procedural mechanism creates a modular system
that can be more readily modified and extended to meet additional needs in the
future.
The distributed system's
capabilities enable VCS to present a
unified view to a virtual patient record. The fact that various portions of the
data may exist locally or remotely or at combination of local and multiple
remote sites is made invisible to the user. Also, the distributed system allows
CPU intensive calculations to be performed on powerful computers across the
country. The distributed actions can be hidden entirely from the user and the
capability that relies on the intensive processing can be presented by an
abstraction that is more accessible and appropriate to the user.
VIMS