An April 2024 U.S. Authorities Accountability Workplace (GAO) report on Division of Protection EHR deployments discovered that person satisfaction ranges are beneath these for its different related programs, and that DOD has not but established person satisfaction objectives.
The GAO report acknowledged that with out objectives for enhancing person satisfaction, the division can be restricted in its capacity to measure progress, plan for enhancements, and make sure the system meets customers’ wants.
The DOD has deployed its new federal digital well being document (EHR) system, known as MHS Genesis, at navy therapy services. The ultimate system deployment came about in March 2024 on the Federal Well being Care Middle, a joint DOD and VA facility. In June 2017, VA initiated its EHR modernization program to interchange its legacy system with the identical Oracle Well being EHR system DOD acquired.
In getting ready its report, GAO studied outcomes of person satisfaction surveys, and likewise reviewed program documentation on long-standing EHR-related points, together with points with deploying the dental module. As well as, GAO noticed month-to-month program administration conferences the place prime program dangers had been mentioned, interviewed division officers, and performed a web site go to to the Federal Well being Care Middle.
The GAO report highlighted a number of points associated to person expertise in surveys about MHS Genesis:• Affected person-centered care. About 35 and 39 % of MHS Genesis customers in 2022 and 2023, respectively, agreed that the system enabled patient-centered care in comparison with 56 % of legacy system customers and 46 % of private-sector customers of the identical business system as DOD. • Downtime. In 2023, 49 % of customers indicated that the EHR was out there when wanted and that downtime was not an issue. This was virtually double the quantity reported in 2022 (25 %). The 2023 survey numbers surpassed these of legacy system respondents, which was 45 %. Nonetheless, the GAO famous, these responses lagged behind the 67 % of private-sector customers of the identical business system as DOD who indicated that downtime was not an issue. • Response time. In 2022 and 2023, 15 and 21 % of MHS Genesis customers, respectively, agreed the digital well being document had a quick response time in comparison with 31 % of legacy system customers and 40 % of private-sector customers of the identical business system as DOD.• High quality care. In 2022 and 2023, 24 and 29 % of MHS Genesis customers, respectively, agreed that the digital well being document permits them to ship top quality care, in comparison with 46 % of legacy system customers and 50 % of private-sector customers of the identical business system as DOD. In April 2023, VA introduced that it deliberate to halt future deployments of the brand new EHR system to prioritize making enhancements on the 5 websites at present utilizing the system.
The GAO report steered that the Secretary of Protection ought to direct the Protection Well being Company Well being Informatics group along side the Program Government Officer of Protection Healthcare Administration Methods to determine MHS Genesis person satisfaction targets and be certain that the system demonstrates enchancment towards assembly these targets.
Relating to the joint VA-DOD deployment on the Federal Well being Care Middle in Illinois, the GAO additionally highlighted work to be accomplished. “As of March 2024, DOD and VA reported that that they had accomplished the 35 crucial duties and milestones required to implement the brand new system on the joint facility, however the departments have alternatives to additional combine their programs,” the report mentioned. “Accordingly, DOD and VA started a course of to resolve variations between their respective workflows and EHR configurations to extend integration. Nonetheless, the method didn’t lead to a completely built-in method as a consequence of causes akin to authorized and coverage obstacles. Till it addresses these obstacles, DOD and VA will possible not meet the mixing purpose established for the Federal Well being Care Middle.”
The GAO report additionally famous that DOD’s Program Government Workplace has not been in a position to resolve issues with its dental module, known as Dentrix. These issues, which started in 2018, continued to plague Dentrix by means of January 2024. This led to DOD elevating the problem to the extreme stage and deciding to determine Dentrix options. Nonetheless, DOD doesn’t but have a plan or schedule for figuring out options. Till the workplace resolves the Dentrix challenge, the brand new federal EHR won’t present crucial performance to dentists who deal with DOD beneficiaries.
