The Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs are embracing innovative technology to improve the health of their constituents and enhance the patient experience. While healthcare provision remains a core part of the mission for each agency, there are numerous obstacles that can get in the way of its achievement.
Addressing the challenges of providing healthcare to active duty and service personnel will shape the conversation at the upcoming DoD/VA and Gov Health IT Summit presented by the Defense Strategies Institute. We caught up with Aidan Mihalik, Program Manager to learn more about this issue and how IT – including AI – is reshaping both healthcare and the patient experience.
The Department of Defense and the Department of Veterans Affairs are two of the largest healthcare providers in the United States. Why is the healthcare mission so important?
The Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are committed to caring for our nation’s service members, veterans, families, and caregivers. The VA’s mission is to provide healthcare services and care to those who have courageously risked their lives to serve and protect our country. Providing Veterans with quality healthcare is the VA’s way to honor their selfless service and sacrifice.
On the DoD side, the health of active duty and reserve service members is paramount to ensuring readiness and operational effectiveness. DoD is directly responsible for preserving and protecting military personnel’s physical and mental fitness to enable a ready fighting force.
What challenges do they face in delivering healthcare services at speed and scale?
There are many significant challenges facing the DoD and VA in delivering healthcare services at speed and scale. Both organizations serve a growing patient population, including veterans, active duty servicemembers, reservists, and their families, with a variety of unique healthcare needs, including physical injury, chronic diseases, and mental/behavioral health challenges. Overseeing the healthcare needs and requirements of such a diverse patient population is a major challenge.
Budgetary constraints are a challenge facing the two organizations as costs continue to rise. Both entities must work through a complex funding process characterized by budget constraints and competing priorities for resource allocation. This may impact the availability and quality of medical facilities, medical equipment, technology upgrades, staffing levels, and access to specialized services.
Another obstacle facing the DoD and VA is health information technology. Both organizations utilize separate electronic health record (EHR) systems which makes it challenging to share critical patient information. The lack of interoperability between the two different EHR systems complicates the process for servicemembers and veterans as they transition to military and civilian healthcare sites. Addressing cybersecurity risks and protecting sensitive patient information further complicates the health IT challenge.
Workforce shortages and retention is a pervasive issue affecting many industries, the VA and DoD are not immune. Due to the growing patient population, there is a high demand for specialized healthcare workers. The demand is often too great, leading to shortages across both agencies. A competitive healthcare job market further complicates the issue and makes it difficult for the VA and DOD to hire and retain workers as the private sector is generally able to supply greater benefits, higher salaries, and flexible work environments.
What new technologies are changing how healthcare can be delivered and healthcare outcomes?
Leveraging emerging technologies and capabilities in healthcare is a critical aspect of improving patient care and access. There are several innovative technologies that are transforming the delivery of healthcare and improving healthcare outcomes such as electronic health records, telemedicine, and AI/ML. Federal agencies and industry are these capabilities to improve efficiency, enhance the patient experience, and accelerate innovation and modernization.
Electronic health records (EHRs) significantly enhance healthcare delivery by providing a centralized digital platform for storing comprehensive patient information including medical history, medications, test results, allergies, treatment plans, etc. EHRs allow healthcare providers to quickly access accurate, up-to-date, and complete data about patients. The VA has been working to implement a new federal EHR across the VA health care system. The goal of the federal EHR is to simplify the experience for Veterans and their health care teams, create a standardization across VA and improve interoperability between VA, federal partners, and the rest of the U.S. healthcare system.
Telemedicine/telehealth is a relatively new capability that is transforming how patients receive high-quality care by allowing patients to access healthcare services remotely through video consultations, remote monitoring, and digital communication technologies. Telehealth services enhance access to healthcare, specifically in rural or underserved areas, reduce healthcare costs, and greatly improve patient convenience since patients can connect with their medical provider from home, or wherever they are. With telehealth, patients can access care when and where they need it.
Artificial intelligence and machine learning are being utilized to analyze large datasets, identify patterns in patient data, and assist clinicians with diagnoses and treatment decisions. The VA is actively using AI to improve clinical decision-making, personalize treatment plans, and enhance patient outcomes, while reducing administrative tasks and burnout among its employees.
New technologies and capabilities have the potential to improve diagnosis and treatment, enhance patient education and engagement, deliver efficient healthcare service delivery, accelerate data-driven decision making, and improve veteran health outcomes. Collaboration between federal agencies, industry partners, and healthcare institutions can lead to comprehensive and integrated solutions that address complex healthcare challenges.
How important are partnerships with private sector vendors and organizations to meeting the healthcare mission?
Partnerships with private sector vendors and organizations are critical in helping the DoD and VA fulfill their healthcare mission. The VA and DoD leverage private sector partnership that can supplement services and help address urgent or emerging gaps in service. Since private sector vendors often possess specialized expertise, technology, and resources, they can complement the capabilities and enhance the healthcare capacity of the DoD and VA.
Do you have any final thoughts to share with our readers?
DSI’s Spring DoD/VA & Government Health IT Summit provides a forum for leaders from across the VA, DHA, DoD, and industry to discuss and share recent efforts and future strategies to advance innovative health information technologies, capabilities, and solutions that improve the delivery and quality of Veteran/Active-Duty healthcare. The event will focus on current and future initiatives to drive a seamless, unified experience for veterans, utilize innovative commercial technologies & capabilities, and advance the delivery of safe integrated, patient-centered care.