The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is working hard to change how healthcare is provided to veterans. With the help of Oracle, they are modernizing their Electronic Health Record (EHR) system. This new system aims to make healthcare more efficient and reliable for both veterans and their healthcare providers. The project has faced some challenges, but progress is being made to ensure veterans receive the best care possible.
Key Takeaways
- Oracle is helping the VA modernize its EHR system to improve healthcare for veterans.
- The new EHR system aims to unify the efforts of the VA and Department of Defense (DoD).
- Telehealth is becoming more important in providing mental healthcare to veterans.
- There have been challenges and criticisms, but steps are being taken to address these issues.
- The transition from the old VistA system to the new EHR system is ongoing and aims to improve care for veterans.
The Role of Oracle in VA’s EHR Modernization
Technological Advancements
Oracle has been pivotal in the VA’s EHR modernization project. Thousands of improvements have been made to enhance the system’s performance, reliability, and usability. The technology used at the VA is the same as that deployed at 3,890 DoD locations, marking it as the largest EHR implementation globally.
Performance Enhancements
Since Oracle took over the project two years ago, the focus has been on making the system more reliable and efficient. This has involved addressing technical issues and ensuring that the system can handle the demands of a large-scale healthcare network.
Usability Improvements
The goal is to provide a world-class EHR system for veterans and their caregivers. Oracle has worked on making the system easier to use, which helps doctors and nurses provide better care. The improvements aim to make the system more intuitive and user-friendly.
Our veterans and the people who care for them deserve a world-class EHR system, and Oracle is delivering it. The recent highly anticipated updates have shown significant progress in this direction.
Interoperability Between VA and DoD EHR Systems
The VA and DoD are working together to create a single, common EHR system. This unified effort aims to improve patient care and make it easier for providers to do their jobs. The VA, DoD, and other federal agencies can offer better care to veterans and active-duty service members by having a shared system.
The Federal EHR deployment is a big step towards making healthcare more responsive and effective. The goal is to have a system that works well for everyone involved. This includes support from industry experts to make sure the system is the best it can be.
Industry support is crucial for the success of the EHR system. Experts from different fields are working together to make sure the system is reliable and easy to use. This collaboration helps ensure that the EHR system meets the needs of both patients and providers.
Telehealth and Mental Healthcare for Veterans
Increasing Role of Telehealth
Telehealth has become a primary consideration for veterans seeking mental healthcare, with those in rural areas using video services at rates comparable to others. With plans to increase telehealth support staff and specialized providers, the VA continues to enhance its nationwide telelemental health network so even more veterans can access mental health care virtually.
Benefits for Mental Health
Because most mental health visits can be conducted using telehealth, it increases the available options for providing mental healthcare to all veterans, no matter where they or their providers are in the U.S. This helps increase healthcare equity and access, he said. “Telehealth offers veterans greater choice and removes their individual barriers to care—barriers such as stigma, transportation, distance to facility, childcare, financial constraints, logistical issues, and lack of access to in-person.
Integration with EHR Systems
Video mental healthcare now constitutes 33 percent of total mental healthcare visits, showcasing the significant role of telehealth during and beyond the pandemic. In fiscal year 2023, over 1 million veterans benefited from nearly 6 million video telemental health (TMH) care visits, marking a 5 percent increase in veterans and a 1 percent increase in visits compared to FY 2022; 96 percent of these TMH visits occurred in a veteran’s home or offsite location, emphasizing the convenience and.
VA delivered over 11.6 million telehealth episodes of care to veterans in the last fiscal year. This includes over 9.4 million episodes of care to veterans in their homes or other locations and more than 2.9 million telehealth episodes of care to rural veterans. Overall, the VA provided telehealth services to over 2.4 million unique veterans, representing about 40 percent of veterans served in the VA.
- Supporting At-Risk Veterans by Providing Mental Health Resources: The VA is launching new resources to address Veteran suicides by leveraging new innovations that address prevention, intervention, and postvention.
- Dr. Susan Kirsh, SES, Deputy Assistant Under Secretary for Health for DEAN VA, hosted this discussion.
Challenges and Criticisms of the EHR Modernization Project
Patient Safety Concerns
The EHR modernization project has faced significant challenges, particularly regarding patient safety. In six years, the VA has spent over $10 billion to install the new system at only a few facilities. This slow progress has raised concerns about the system’s safety and reliability.
Bipartisan Congressional Criticism
Lawmakers from both parties have criticized the project. During a recent budget hearing, Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick expressed concern over the dramatic budget cut for the EHR modernization project, which decreased by more than 50% compared to 2024. This has led to worries that there are no real plans to move from reset to implementation.
Steps Taken to Address Issues
In response to these challenges, the VA has taken steps to address the issues. The 2025 proposal allocates $894 million for EHR modernization, a decrease of $969 million from this year. This includes $375 million for the EHR contract. The agency has also appropriated additional funds that will be available when the project exits its reset phase.
The embattled EHR modernization project has proved a major challenge for the VA and Oracle, as problems with patient safety and technical issues have dogged the years-long implementation.
The Transition from VistA to the Modernized EHR System
Legacy System Issues
The VA has long relied on the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture (VistA) EHR system in almost all of its hospitals. However, VistA has faced significant problems, including a lack of interoperability and nationwide access for veterans who change hospitals or move between states. Our veterans deserve better. VistA’s fragmented and insecure technology, conceived decades before the Internet, is no longer sufficient for modern healthcare needs.
Initial Rollout and Halt
The modernized EHR system was initially delivered to five VA facilities. Despite this, the department decided to halt its nationwide rollout. This pause was necessary to address various issues and ensure the new system would meet the high standards required for veteran care. The modernization effort moves the VA closer to achieving an interoperable EHR system that will improve military career transitions and drive better healthcare outcomes.
Future Plans for Nationwide Implementation
Looking ahead, the VA has plans to resume the rollout of the modernized EHR system. The goal is to provide a single, interoperable, secure, longitudinal record that follows veterans from the Pentagon to the VA, ensuring continuity of care from enlistment to end-of-life. This ambitious project aims to revolutionize how healthcare is delivered to our veterans, making it more efficient and effective.
Impact of EHR Modernization on Community Care
Interoperability with Community Providers
The VA’s transition to a new electronic health record (EHR) system aims to improve interoperability with community providers. This means that veterans’ health information can be easily shared with local doctors and hospitals, ensuring they receive the best care possible. This seamless exchange of information helps reduce duplicate tests and procedures, saving time and resources.
Efficiency and Safety Improvements
With the new EHR system, the VA is seeing incremental but accelerating progress in efficiency and safety. The modernized system helps track all aspects of patient care, reduce errors, and improve overall patient safety. This is especially important for veterans who often have complex medical histories.
Veteran Experience and Feedback
Veterans have reported a better experience with the new EHR system. The ease of accessing their health records and the improved communication between VA and community providers have been significant benefits. Feedback from veterans is crucial in making ongoing improvements to the system.
The modernization of the VA’s EHR system is a significant step towards providing better healthcare for veterans, ensuring their medical information is always up-to-date and easily accessible.
Future Prospects of VA’s EHR System
Long-term Goals
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is committed to resuming the EHR modernization project by the end of the 2025 fiscal year. This effort aims to create a single health record across the VA system, ensuring seamless care for veterans. The FY 2025 budget of $894 million supports resetting and maintaining the six sites currently using the new system.
Technological Innovations
The VA is seeing incremental but accelerating progress in addressing issues that clinicians and other end users are experiencing. Optimizing the current state of the EHR system is crucial to laying a strong foundation for future deployments. The focus is on enhancing the system’s performance and usability to serve veterans better.
Potential Challenges Ahead
Despite the progress, there are still unresolved patient safety issues with the pharmacy software. The VA acknowledges that an updated deployment schedule is critical to demonstrating its commitment to quality care. Moving forward, the VA and its vendors must work together to resolve these challenges and ensure a smooth rollout of the EHR system.
The VA remains dedicated to holding itself and its vendors accountable for resolving challenges with the deployment of the Federal EHR and moving forward productively.
Conclusion
The journey to modernize the Veterans Affairs EHR system is a significant step towards improving healthcare for our veterans. With Oracle’s involvement, the system has seen numerous enhancements, making it more reliable and user-friendly. The goal is to ensure that veterans receive the best possible care at VA facilities or in the community. Despite some challenges, the progress made so far is promising. As the VA continues to roll out the new system, the focus remains on providing safe, efficient, and high-quality care for all veterans.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the goal of the VA’s EHR modernization project?
The main goal is to provide a world-class electronic health record (EHR) system for veterans and their healthcare providers, ensuring better care and improved efficiency.
Who is leading the VA’s EHR modernization project?
Oracle Cerner is leading the project under a 10-year, $16 billion contract with the Department of Veterans Affairs.
What are some benefits of the new EHR system?
The new system aims to improve performance, reliability, and usability. It also enhances interoperability between VA and community care providers, making care safer and more efficient for veterans.
What challenges has the EHR modernization project faced?
The project has faced several challenges, including patient safety concerns and bipartisan criticism from Congress. These issues have led to delays in the nationwide rollout.
How does the new EHR system affect telehealth services?
The new EHR system integrates telehealth services to support the increasing role of telehealth, particularly in providing mental healthcare to veterans.
What is the current status of the EHR modernization project?
The VA plans to resume the rollout of the new EHR system by the end of the 2025 fiscal year after addressing major patient safety issues and other challenges.
Further Reading
VA still needs to shore up usability of new EHR system, GAO says NextGov.com
