The Dod Ehr: Ah Hell, Let's Get Again

The wellness information engineering (HIT) footing has been hitting past times a watershed trial similar no other. The Department of Defense (DoD), widely respected for its indiscriminate generosity to contractors, has HIStalk estimates a to a greater extent than conservative, together with in all probability to a greater extent than realistic, $40 meg per year). To mere mortals this may appear similar a lot of money, but considering that changed its name to Leidos Holdings, Inc. together with spun off a smaller entity that retained the SAIC name. The dissever was explained every bit a way to avoid conflict of interests together with larn to a greater extent than business. The HIStalk estimates a to a greater extent than conservative, together with in all probability to a greater extent than realistic, $40 meg per year). To mere mortals this may appear similar a lot of money, but considering that typical infirmary EHR implementations run anywhere betwixt tens to many hundreds of millions of dollars, together with considering that Cerner has annual revenues of or then $4 billion, the DoD contract seems similar a minor contribution to an already gigantic EHR powerhouse.

Speaking of money, it does appear rather excessive to pass then many billions of dollars on a slice of software. Nobody knows how many billions volition goal upward beingness spent, but nosotros produce know that $4.3 billion is the absolute minimum over the adjacent 10 years. Is that a lot? The DoD has 55 hospitals together with to a greater extent than than 600 clinics, together with it has aircraft carriers, submarines, helicopters together with all sorts of personnel carrying vehicles where the EHR volition necessitate to live on used, non to advert remote caves inwards unusual lands, together with theaters of total blown war. Neither Cerner nor whatsoever existing EHR, including VistA, has those capabilities out of the box. Certainly lots of novel code volition necessitate to live on written past times Cerner, but the mass of the coin volition become to integration together with deployment. That coin is SAIC coin together with is independent of EHR selection (this is a goodness house to become dorsum together with read that Vanity Fair article).

There is nevertheless no uncertainty that the DoD contract is a huge marketing win for Cerner, together with this is amplified past times the fact that Epic does niggling to no populace marketing of its own. The Cerner accolade volition too receive got beneficial effects on the CommonWell information telephone substitution platform. The already pregnant influence Cerner exerts on regime agencies, such every bit ONC, volition probable growth together with that’s a really goodness affair for Cerner’s commercial business. More of import though is Cerner’s pes inwards the door at the Department of Veteran Affairs (VA), simply inwards representative they determine (or are forced to decide) to hold upward amongst the DoD together with supercede their VistA EHR.

So far the experts together with the media receive got been form to Cerner, together with volition kicking the bucket on to live on then every bit long every bit the DHMSM projection moves successfully through its milestones. However, every bit a subcontractor, Cerner has express command over the projection every bit a whole, together with considering that inwards the footing of SAIC, success is defined every bit extracting the largest possible annuities from the government, whether its deliverables are correspond for locomote or non then much, Cerner is running a pregnant hazard of having its otherwise respectable reputation tarnished through no mistake of its own. Not certain why, but my feeling is that Cerner has a much improve guide chances of surviving within the shadowy defense strength contractor civilization than Epic would receive got always had, then things may plough out simply fine.

Health attention nowadays is similar the pump record of a hyperactive stock marketplace gone mad. Everything is huge, disruptive together with transformative for a few days until the adjacent seismic daze rolls in. Since zip agency anything inwards particular, everything agency precisely what each proficient wishes it would mean. For some the DHMSM exemplifies the triumph of interoperability together with the demise of information blockers. For others it is clear proof that the hereafter belongs to platforms together with substitutable modules. Many are simply thrilled to run into a previously unbeatable competition receive got 1 squarely on the chin. And a few experience personally persecuted because a large Fe EHR vendor was selected instead of something from the app store. Truth is that the DHMSM agency really niggling to anybody inwards the EHR industry, other than Cerner of course.