The Department of Veterans Affairs’ electronic health record modernization program is undergoing significant changes with new oversight plans being put into place by the House of Representatives’ committees on Veterans’ Affairs and Appropriations. These changes aim to ensure the sustainability and success of the program, particularly with the remaining planned rollouts of the Oracle Health EHR.
The draft oversight plan includes provisions to improve the program’s sustainability by defining leadership roles, implementing rules to secure personal data, and establishing baseline workflows to monitor and control variations. The goal is to address past issues such as cost overruns, lack of training, and incidents of patient safety.
One of the key proposals is the establishment of standard quality metrics to evaluate care delivered during the adoption of the Oracle EHR at VA medical facilities. This will ensure that every veteran receives the same high-quality care across the VA system. Additionally, reports detailing resources provided for EHR implementation and internal governance structures for EHR modernization are being put in place.
The VA’s plan to deploy its Oracle EHR to 13 medical facilities next year is a significant step in modernizing its health record system. By implementing these oversight measures, the VA aims to improve communication, training, and patient safety across its facilities.
The draft legislation also includes provisions to prohibit the monetization, sale, or misuse of covered information within contracts related to the EHR modernization program. This is crucial for protecting the privacy and security of veterans’ health information.
Overall, these oversight plans and proposals are essential for ensuring the success of the VA’s electronic health record modernization program. By establishing clear guidelines, monitoring mechanisms, and quality metrics, the VA can enhance the delivery of care to veterans and improve the efficiency of its health record system.
Andrea Fox, Senior Editor of Healthcare IT News, highlighted the importance of these oversight measures in ensuring the success of the VA’s electronic health record modernization program. For more information on healthcare IT news, visit the HIMSS Media publication.
