News: VA contracts independent cost estimate for EHR implementation

Over the past six months, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has faced several challenges with the implementation of a new EHR modernization (EHRM) program. In response, the VA has announced it has contracted the Institute for Defense Analysis (IDA) to provide independent cost estimates for the department’s EHR implementation. As of this article’s publication, the EHRM project has been underway for three years, but cost increases and pauses to rollout have stymied progress.

Over the course of the three years since the program’s launch, a review from the Office of the Inspector General found issues with training related to the EHR system at the project’s pilot site. The pilot found the system still had bugs and while the department had a plan to fix the system, implementation was paused for at least an additional six months. Additionally, when the first cost estimate was scoped, it was not done so adequately causing the huge increase of billions of dollars.

The IDA will begin its review of the VA EHRM shortly but estimates it will be 12 months before a full lifecycle estimate for the EHR implementation project is received.

Editor’s note: More ACDIS coverage of the VA EHRM project can be found here.