Healthcare

VA-DoD: Winning the Battle for Interoperability

Healthcare Informatics: When the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) announced it was going to migrate to Cerner’s electronic medical record (EMR), the same system being adopted by the Department of Defense (DoD), many assumed that this will result in seamless exchange of data that will improve care while reducing cost and hassle. Perhaps, but notice that Secretary Shulkin was careful to insert the word “ultimately” into the statement above. This is an acknowledgement that simply deploying the same EMR won’t fix the problems. In my opinion, if the VA and DoD don’t simultaneously pursue robust interoperability, “ultimately” could easily become “never.” This is true for civilian health systems as well.

Active duty military, veterans and their families represent a large, diverse and sometimes highly complex patient population. The numbers are impressive. On the DoD side, there were 9.3 million active military patients in 2016, while the VA cared for 9 million veterans in 2014. This complex delivery system is comprised of the DoD, VA and importantly, private facilities and providers. With no common EMR and very limited interoperability between the military and civilian systems, sharing information and coordinating care can be a nightmare for patients and providers alike. And, undoubtedly, care is less efficient and more expensive than necessary.

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