The Military Health System is moving closer to developing an innovative, reliable, agile, flexible, and accurate electronic health record, which includes capitalizing on modular systems with different functionality than MHS currently uses.
The MHS launched the dental module of AHLTA to thoroughly document and capture both dental and medical healthcare information. AHLTA-dental is the only dental record currently in use within the MHS. The military services are now stopping AHLTA-dental deployment to further analyze some existing functions within other systems.
“The MHS is initiating a pause to do a pulse check of where we are with the process and make modifications based on the needs of our healthcare providers,” said Charles Campbell, MHS chief information officer. “We need to make sure we can keep pace with the dental community’s evolving needs, so I would rather take time to examine those needs and make adjustments now rather than replacing the system later.”
“The Army’s Corporate Dental Application is currently available at Army and Air Force dental clinics including remote locations in theater,” Campbell said. “So it makes fiscal sense to consider this or a similar option instead of pouring money into an antiquated architecture that we already determined needs a major overhaul.”
“As we work to improve our electronic health record, we need to put the tools in the hands of our providers that can best support their needs for rapid documentation and access to their patient’s health information,” said Jack Smith, M.D., acting deputy assistant secretary of defense (Health Affairs) Clinical and Program Policy. “While we’re still evaluating the business case for a change, the Corporate Dental Application appears to provide a ready solution to address many of the current needs of our dental providers and is in alignment with our electronic health record way ahead strategy.”