PwC Submits Bid to DoD for Open Source EHR System

Proposal would create a single, secure interoperable system to serve the military and their families

WASHINGTON, Oct. 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- PwC US today submitted its bid for the Department of Defense (DoD) Healthcare Management Systems Modernization (DHMSM) Electronic Health Record (EHR) contract. The proposal, called the Defense Operational Readiness Health System (DORHS), would help modernize the military health system by enabling doctors and healthcare professionals inside and outside of government to more efficiently treat our service members and their families through the creation of a single source for their medical records. The program would benefit the health and well-being of more than 9.7 million active duty members, retirees and their dependents.

In a recent survey, WebMD's Medscape EHR Report 2014, participating physicians rated their EHR systems across multiple domains. The system built on the open architecture approach proposed by PwC scored the highest overall as well as in key categories such as "Satisfaction" and "Usefulness as a Clinical Tool." Drawing on its long history of assisting the commercial healthcare and federal government in the implementation of transformational IT solutions, PwC is teaming with commercial EHR vendors DSS, Inc. and Medsphere Systems Corporation, Medicasoft, and systems integrator General Dynamics Information Technology to offer an EHR solution currently used in more than 2,300 locations worldwide and complemented by highly secure, open source digital architecture and innovative, user-friendly operations.

The innovative DORHS program brings a host of advantages over competitors' closed, proprietary hardware and EHR systems. The benefits to the military include:

• Security: Meeting the DoD standards for cyber security, the application can safely exchange vast amounts of data.
• Cost effectiveness: By using existing EHR technology, PwC's open source approach could save DoD taxpayer dollars.
• Interoperability: Allowing health care professionals to communicate seamlessly with other providers at commercial labs, specialty clinics and local hospitals, and VA Medical Centers, among others, without imposing proprietary APIs or transaction fees.
• Reliability and responsiveness: Provides doctors, nurses and technicians access to patient information in one complete EHR, which lessens the burden on the patient and reduces the risk of medical errors.

"Our top priority is that those who volunteer to serve in our armed forces receive the medical care they need during the entirety of their service, through to retirement," said Dan Garrett, leader of PwC's health care IT practice. "We want to provide an easy to use system for doctors, military personnel and their families to make the best health care decisions possible, without worrying about delayed, lost or incomplete medical information."

In addition, the open architecture of the DOHRS program allows and inspires ongoing innovation, keeping it at the cutting edge of digital solutions. This will prevent the federal government from being locked into a single technology, avoiding "vendor lock."

"As EHR technologies continue to develop, the most important requirement is that this system allows DoD health care professionals to constantly innovate," said Scott McIntyre, leader of PwC's global and US public sector practice. "PwC's system provides real-time information, through an easy-to-navigate program that is ready today and adaptable for years to come."

The proposed program incorporates decades of user experience and DoD-specific clinical care guidelines. It includes the components necessary to assist DoD medical teams with the questions, tests and data analysis needed to make accurate diagnoses and recommend treatment. Most importantly, it provides doctors, nurses and technicians access to the patient's entire medical history, improving their understanding of the unique needs of the individual patient.  

A recognized leader in the healthcare industry, with deep healthcare IT experience, PwC has delivered both performance and value to its customers for over a century. Providing insight across both the public and private sector, PwC has a strong record of helping organizations solve complex problems, from strategy through execution.

About PwC US

PwC US and its subsidiaries help organizations and individuals create the value they're looking for. We're a member of the PwC network of firms, which has firms in 157 countries with more than 195,000 people. We're committed to delivering quality in assurance, tax and advisory services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com/US.

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SOURCE PwC US

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