News: VA pauses EHR modernization rollout

The  Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) paused its electronic health record modernization (EHRM) rollout, according to officials in a Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing.

The statement comes after the VA’s initial one-month EHRM assessment, which followed a list of concerns from the Government Accountability Office (GAO). The GAO report noted that while the “VA has made progress in preparing for [the] new system, subsequent test findings will need to be addressed.” The GAO noted that the VA had not yet resolved all critical severity test findings (that could result in system failure) and high severity test findings, which could also result in system failure.

While the VA had previously announced it was conducting a strategic record review of the EHRM system to increase productivity and clinical workflow optimization at future go-live sites, the latest inspection during the implementation pause will consist of a complete EHRM program evaluation to ensure success for all future EHR implementations.

Editor’s note: A video of the Subcommittee on Technology Modernization hearing can be found here. The previous VA announcement of the EHRM rollout testing can be found here. The May/June edition of the ACDIS publication CDI Journal is focused on unconventional settings and can be found here after May 1.