GAO: VA, DoD must unite health IT visions
The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) face barriers in three IT management areas--strategic planning, enterprise architecture and investment management. As a result, the organizations lack mechanisms for identifying and implementing IT solutions to address their common healthcare system needs, according to a February report from the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO).
DoD and VA are currently undertaking initiatives to modernize their respective EMRs, jointly establish the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) and develop joint IT capabilities for the James A. Lovell Federal HealthCare Center (FHCC).
However, according to the GAO's report, the departments have been unable to articulate explicit plans, goals and timeframes for jointly addressing the health IT requirements common to both departments’ EHR systems. As an example, DoD’s and VA’s joint strategic plan does not discuss how or when the departments propose to identify and develop joint health IT solutions. Additionally, department officials have not yet determined whether the IT capabilities developed for the FHCC can or will be implemented at other DoD and VA medical facilities.
Another complication lies in the fact that although the DoD and VA have taken steps toward developing and maintaining artifacts related to a joint health architecture, the architecture is not sufficiently mature to guide the departments' joint health IT modernization efforts. “The departments have not defined how they intend to transition from their current architecture to a planned future state,” the report stated.
Finally, the departments have not established a joint process for selecting IT investments based on criteria that consider cost, benefit, schedule and risk elements, which would help to ensure that the chosen tool both meets the departments’ common health IT needs.
“DoD’s and VA’s experiences in developing VLER and IT capabilities for the FHCC offer important lessons that the departments can use to improve their management of these ongoing efforts,” stated the report. The GAO suggested that the departments can improve the likelihood of successfully meeting their goal to implement VLER nationwide by the end of 2012 by developing an approved plan that is consistent with effective IT project management principles.
“Unless DoD and VA address these lessons, the departments will jeopardize their ability to deliver expected capabilities to support their joint health IT needs,” the report concluded.
DoD and VA are currently undertaking initiatives to modernize their respective EMRs, jointly establish the Virtual Lifetime Electronic Record (VLER) and develop joint IT capabilities for the James A. Lovell Federal HealthCare Center (FHCC).
However, according to the GAO's report, the departments have been unable to articulate explicit plans, goals and timeframes for jointly addressing the health IT requirements common to both departments’ EHR systems. As an example, DoD’s and VA’s joint strategic plan does not discuss how or when the departments propose to identify and develop joint health IT solutions. Additionally, department officials have not yet determined whether the IT capabilities developed for the FHCC can or will be implemented at other DoD and VA medical facilities.
Another complication lies in the fact that although the DoD and VA have taken steps toward developing and maintaining artifacts related to a joint health architecture, the architecture is not sufficiently mature to guide the departments' joint health IT modernization efforts. “The departments have not defined how they intend to transition from their current architecture to a planned future state,” the report stated.
Finally, the departments have not established a joint process for selecting IT investments based on criteria that consider cost, benefit, schedule and risk elements, which would help to ensure that the chosen tool both meets the departments’ common health IT needs.
“DoD’s and VA’s experiences in developing VLER and IT capabilities for the FHCC offer important lessons that the departments can use to improve their management of these ongoing efforts,” stated the report. The GAO suggested that the departments can improve the likelihood of successfully meeting their goal to implement VLER nationwide by the end of 2012 by developing an approved plan that is consistent with effective IT project management principles.
“Unless DoD and VA address these lessons, the departments will jeopardize their ability to deliver expected capabilities to support their joint health IT needs,” the report concluded.