DoD Takes Next Step In Modernizing Electronic Health Records

The Defense Department has issued a request for proposals to modernize its electronic health records and allow DoD to share health data with the private sector and the Department of Veterans Affairs.  It is a multi-billion dollar request to replace many of the current DoD legacy health care systems. This includes Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA), Composite Health Care System (CHCS) (inpatient), and most components of the Theater Medical Information Program-Joint (TMIP-J), with the objective of achieving initial fielding of a modernized replacement by the end of calendar year 2016.

“We are not just buying an off-the-shelf system, we’re really looking to modernize how the department delivers health care,” said Christopher Miller, program executive officer, Defense Healthcare Management Systems. “Ultimately, program success will result in continued improvement in patient safety, quality of care and readiness of forces worldwide.”  

The RFP is the culmination of 11 months of intense work by the Defense Healthcare Management Systems program executive office. The key to the department’s strategy is to engage the larger Health IT marketplace to help identify a solution approach that provides best value and meets operational requirements. This approach allows the department to leverage the latest commercial technologies, improve usability, and save on costs...