The VA has long used the Veterans Health Information Systems and Technology Architecture, part of which is based on code developed in the 1960s, according to a Politico report. Though longstanding, certain officials believe VistA is outdated and doesn’t measure up to its commercial contemporaries.
“VistA is a great big Buick with whitewall tires and tail fins that gets about 8 miles to the gallon,” said Rep. Phil Roe, MD, (R-Tenn.) to Politico. Rep. Roe is a member of the veterans committee. “I’m not saying they should switch [to a commercial system], but when you ask sophisticated people can VistA work for the long run, the answer will be no.”
However, VA officials are likely to oppose scrapping VistA for a commercial solution, according to the report, which says longtime VA officials are “fiercely proud” of the EHR system.
Last month, MITRE Corp. released a report suggesting replacing VistA with a commercial system, saying the current EHR could soon become obsolete and it “stymie[s] interoperability between Veterans Health Administration facilities as well as with [Department of Defense] and non-VA providers.”
The decision to switch to a commercial solution won’t be immediate following discussions, as the VA would need to conduct a cost benefit analysis and gather an independent team to evaluate commercial options, according to the report.
If the VA does decide to go with a commercial EHR solution, there are already speculations of which vendors might place a bid. EHR giant Epic reportedly previously wanted to replace VistA, but founder and CEO Judy Faulkner told journalists at a meeting last week it’s unclear if Epic will do so after losing the Pentagon contract to Cerner, according to Politico.
More articles on EHRs:
Mother Jones piece hits Epic hard: 5 criticisms of the EHR vendor
70% of EHRs have adopted ePA: 7 things to know
New music video puts EHR woes to the tune of Jay Z
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