Long in the works, the Department of Veterans Affairs says it soon will begin rolling out its enhanced Enterprise Health Management Platform (eHMP), which VA CIO LaVerne Council calls "a major cornerstone of our modernization efforts."
In a post at FedTech, Council writes that the rollout will occur over the next two years. The platform will build upon the foundation of the Joint Legacy Viewer, a Web-based integrated system that combines electronic health records from the VA and the Department of Defense. Interoperability between the two agencies has long been an issue.
The platform will improve organization, display and search of patient data, and will give clinicians the ability to compute data within the platform, according to Council. It also boasts note writing features and options to order lab and radiology tests, she notes.
The goal, says David Waltman, chief information strategy officer at VHA, is to create "a state where we have a veteran-centric record" that allows doctors and veterans to get medical data quickly, according to a FWC report.
Council adds that eHMP is not a "one-and-done" initiative. "As technology evolves, we will continuously modernize our platform with enhanced, flexible components," she writes.
The platform was built by the VA in-house, Jonathan Nebeker, VA's deputy chief medical informatics officer, tells FWC. But he adds that the agency doesn't want to be its "own vendor forever," and officials hope the healthcare industry will co-opt the platform.
To learn more:
- here's the FedTech post
- check out the FWC report