Surveys carried out in 2024 show continued user dissatisfaction with the modernized electronic health record system the Department of Veterans Affairs has been working to roll out since 2020, according to a draft report the Government Accountability Office made public Friday.
Prevailing EHR Issues
According to the report, the percentage of respondents strongly disagreeing that the new EHR enabled efficiency has gone down from 66 percent in 2022 but remains a considerable 44 percent in 2024, a major, persisting issue that the VA needs to address.
Other prevailing issues include nearly 2,000 complex configuration changes that have been requested but not yet resolved; the lack of an updated total life cycle cost estimate reflecting many EHRM changes and delays; and an integrated master schedule that has also yet to be updated.
Action on Recommendations Needed
GAO has offered the VA a total of 15 recommendations over several previously-issued reports to address the issues but 14 have not yet been implemented. The draft report adds three more recommendations, covering cost estimation, schedule and system metrics.
The implementation of the recommendations “is critical to reducing EHR risks and delivering a quality system within cost and schedule expectations,” the draft report said.
