GAO: DoD, VA integrated EHR plans insufficient
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) fiscal year 2013 integrated EHR (iEHR) expenditure plan fell short of meeting conditions established in the 2013 appropriations act, according to the General Accounting Office (GAO).
The 2013 act restricted the obligation of VA and DoD fiscal year 2013 funds for the development of an iEHR to not more than 25 percent until an expenditure plan that satisfied statutory conditions was submitted to Congress. The GAO report sought to determine whether the VA and DoD plan submitted to Congress met such conditions.
In its findings, the GAO found that the agencies failed to:
- Define a budget for each EHR program through 2018
- Establish a schedule for achieving data standardization
- Explain how each department would comply with acquisition rules
- Identify a timeline for rolling out the system
- Justify their estimated EHR expenditures
The GAO is recommending that the agencies ensure that any future expenditure plans include verifiable and accurate budget, cost and spending information; a deployment timeline that is consistent with an integrated master schedule; a data standardization schedule; and the basis for their assertion of compliance with acquisition rules, requirements, guidelines and systems acquisition management practices of the federal government.
In joint comments, DoD and VA agreed with GAO’s recommendations.
Read the full GAO report here.