Will Massive DoD Contract Solve The EHR Interoperability Problems?

The Department of Defense Healthcare Management Systems Modernization contract--estimated to be worth approximately $11 billion over its lifecycle--could be a game-changer for healthcare in the United States due to its sheer size and scope, reports Nextgov. Due to be awarded by the end of this year, the contract involves integration of a commercial electronic health records system to cover its nearly 10 million beneficiaries and an array of health care facilities worldwide.

The Pentagon is looking for a single contractor to pull it all together, and the big-name contractors already have aligned with commercial EHR vendors in preparation for the contract, according to Nextgov. Getting the contractor on board by the end of the year would allow more time to work on the particularly vexing problem of interoperability--which prompted the DoD and Veterans Affairs to throw up their hands in frustration in February 2013 at efforts to build a joint system from scratch. Defense has since focused on off-the-shelf commercial technology...