A Roadmap for Health IT

by Lloyd McCoy Jr., Consultant

In President Obama’s first weekly address back in January 2009, he called for every American to have an electronic health record by 2014. His statement at the time did not seem out of reach. After all, the benefits of consolidation and integration within Health IT were clear; lower costs and more efficiency would save money and save lives. It was a no brainer and the Department of Health & Human Services, Veterans Affairs, and Department of Defense would lead the charge.

Several years later, after cost overruns, political squabbling, bureaucratic infighting, and technical challenges the public Health IT space has seen its fair share of battle scars. In the last 18 months alone we have witnessed the VA and DOD abandon efforts to develop a unified electronic health record, the failed initial launch of the Affordable Care Act website, and an outdated electronic scheduling system at the VA, which contributed to the ongoing scandal over excessive wait times for veterans.

All is not gloomy and there is hope on the horizon. In fact a roadmap seems to be emerging, within the VA and DOD in particular, that addresses many of these challenges. Both departments have moved from talking about integration to interoperability, a more realistic goal. To this end they are upgrading their massive health record systems to not only provide more robust care for veterans and active duty members, but also make it easier for both EHR systems to talk to each other. Other advances in the area of cloud, mobility, and security will add to their capabilities.

Join us for an in-depth look at interoperability and information sharing between the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration on June 19^th at 8:30 a.m. to gain insight into:

• Requirements for DHA’s next generation EHR and VA’s VistA Evolution as well as ongoing interoperability opportunities
• How recent regulations and initiatives are impacting major DHA and VA Health IT programs and budgets
• What specific technology requirements are in demand and key stakeholders in the development of future DHA and VA systems
• How to align your sales strategy in the broader areas of Health IT