The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is considering acquiring an electronic health record (EHR) system for use in providing healthcare services for individuals who are being detained by its Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency. DHS providers and related staff located at 22 sites are looking to replace the current manual and standalone record systems.
Earlier this month, DHS issued a request for information to gauge vendor interest in establishing a system to provide oversight of patient operations and reporting, according to a announcement appearing in Federal Business Opportunities.
DHS is looking for EHRs that will provide information on clinical support (such as intake screening, scheduling, provider order entry, and treatment referrals); pharmacy/pharmacology support (such as master medication list management and order fulfillment); and offline capabilities to support documentation for remote services.
The new EHR system should eliminate existing reports based on hand-tallying; reduce medication errors for detainees; improve identification of preliminary and certified medical conditions; improve reporting of infectious diseases; and provide prompts for completion of specific medical activities required under detainee standards, according to the request for information.
DHS said it anticipates awarding a contract by September for deploying the EHR system in fiscal 2012. It would be part of a five-year contract, reports Government Health IT.
For more information:
- see the Government Health IT article
- view the Federal Business Opportunities page