VA, DOD Will Decide on Common EHR Method in March

The Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments will decide by late March the technical method they will pursue to create a common electronic health record. The two departments are able to exchange some patient information now, but their systems are not interoperable, even though many military members and veterans receive treatment in both systems.  

The VA and DOD secretaries are committed to do this together and make the best decision for their two departments as jointly as possible on how they can move forward to a common electronic health system (EHR), said Roger Baker, VA CIO.

“If we can run one EHR and if we’re in agreement on that EHR, that will be wonderful. But I think there are a variety of options between there,” he said in a Feb. 24 tele-briefing with reporters.

The EHR system may not be settled in one decision, he said. “But I assure you it will be very close cooperation between DOD and VA whatever the right technical solution recommended is,” he said.
The two departments have agreed that the EHR will include standards, shared data, common applications and the ability to plug and play those common applications.

Last week, Baker told a congressional committee that a decision was weeks away.