GUI FileMan

The VHA Innovation Program needed assistance expanding the capabilities of the Graphical User Interface (GUI) FileMan Reporting Tool to provide a Web Application to view data previously retrieved and stored in a SQL Server database. The existing GUI FileMan Reporting Tool retrieves relevant data from the Veteran's Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) much more rapidly than performing separate manual searches using the Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS).

The GUI FileMan Reporting Tool was initially piloted as a suicide tracking tool, but it is capable to track additional clinical and administrative measures. This project enhanced the benefits of the GUI FileMan Tool by storing data results from the custom-defined queries in a SQL Server Database and providing the ability for users to access this pre-compiled data through a Web Application. Storing the data in SQL is handled by a Windows Forms wizard that guides the user in creating the cache. Viewing the data is done through a Web Application that uses an advanced grid capable of sorting, grouping and filtering the cached data. The SQL extensions also allow sharing data from across different VA stations and regions and consolidating data in one place, greatly improving the visibility of patient data as patients relocate across the nation.