PwC to Propose Open Source EHR to DoD

PwC US recently announced its intent to pursue the Department of Defense (D0D) Healthcare Management Systems Modernization (DHMSM) EHR contract. The DHMSM program would replace and modernize the Military Health System (MHS) which currently supports more than 9.7 million beneficiaries, including active duty, retirees, and their dependents.

Leveraging investments already made by the government into the Open Source Electronic Health Record Alliance by merging open source software with commercial applications, PwC plans to combine its health care operational and transformation capabilities with commercial EHR vendors DSS, Inc and MedSphere, and systems integrator General Dynamics Information Technology to offer an EHR, which is currently serving patients and clinicians in more than 2,300 locations globally.

"Providing high quality healthcare to US military families and veterans relies on secure access to patient records from any location or device," says Scott McIntyre, US public sector leader for PwC. "An interoperable health care IT management system that leverages existing investments not only creates efficiency and significant cost savings, it promotes better health outcomes for active duty military, veterans, and their families."

PwC's team is proposing an "Open Architecture" based integrated EHR which promotes greater ease of integration with existing DoD legacy systems as well as unlimited access to ongoing EHR innovations. PwC selected its proposed solution based on an extensive technical analysis using the DoD's unique government EHR requirements and the MHS' patient safety and quality standards. 

"Given the rapid evolution of today's new health economy, technology driven disruption is inevitable.  Our approach fosters continued innovation and adaptability, without the need to be being 'locked in' to one technology," says Kelly Barnes, US health industries leader for PwC.  "As a leader in health care consulting, PwC is well positioned to help the DoD modernize the current system, and enable transformation that can result in improved health care for their patients."

PwC's depth of consulting experience in clinical care transformations, HIT (including EHR/EMR), and health care operations consulting coupled with both the DSS/MedSphere EHR platform would support the DoD's need to quickly transmit patient data and information across federal health care systems and private physician platforms. This interoperable open source platform would capture health data across a patient's entire health interaction while making the information easily accessible and usable to clinicians.

Source: PwC US