DoD, VA agree on joint EHR platform

Streamlining health systems for both active duty military members and veterans has become a new priority of the Military Health System and Veterans Administration. Source: Department of Defense (DoD)

The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have agreed on the platform for a joint project to create an integrated EHR product both departments are calling iEHR.

An April 3 Congressional report (which cost the DoD $31,000 to prepare for FY2012) said iEHR enterprise architecture (EA) will provide for a systematic approach to support the alignment of enterprise resources and investments with enterprise-wide business needs and programs to achieve the iEHR.

The departments have agreed to implement a joint, common EHR platform, purchasing commercially available components for joint use whenever possible. “The EA effort provides for a systematic approach to support the alignment of enterprise resources and investments with enterprise-wide business needs and programs to achieve iEHR and virtual lifetime electronic record [VLER] Health objectives,” the report stated.

The envisioned target state of the iEHR features include:

• Joint use of the iEHR to help contain healthcare costs and provide higher value-based healthcare delivery systems;
• A coordinated “best-of-breed” approach that includes a mix of existing standards-of-architecture-compliant capabilities, commercial off-the-shelf, open source and custom systems;
• Use of agile development that will allow the departments to deliver capabilities to customers at a more rapid pace; and
• Operation of an IPO as the single point of accountability for the iEHR initiative and VLER Health.