The Department of Veterans Affairs wants to develop an application that will allow clinical images stored on its Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture electronic health record to be viewed on mobile devices. A request for information published earlier this month listed the requirements needed for web and mobile access to an imaging solution.
The VA, according to the RFI, is committed to embracing new technologies that will help it increase the ability of patients and healthcare providers to connect and interact with the data they need in a meaningful way. New technologies, such as applications that allow for the viewing of images on mobile platforms "can expedite diagnosis and treatment planning, facilitating communication among radiologists and referring clinicians," the RFI says.
The solution should be able to provide the ability to view images and reports available in the VistA system on an approved mobile device; the only approved mobile device at present is Apple's iPad.
According to an article in Government Health IT, the VA requires that any future browser, platform and PACS system for mobile technology be vendor agnostic to enable easy access. In addition, the solution must be certified by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, adhere to strict IT policies, provide patient data protection, and be centrally managed.
The solution also must provide a "state of the art" imaging platform that can satisfy basic imaging needs, as well as the advanced user. Additionally, the solution will allow "true real-time collaboration" among users who are geographically spread out, while providing "the highest of patient care in an every changing healthcare environment."
To learn more:
- see the VA request for information
- read the article in Government Health IT