A downloadable, open source version of the military’s electronic health record software that is used for troops on the battlefield will be available through the nonprofit organization, Open Source Electronic Health Record Agent (OSEHRA).
In a May 22 press release, Dr. Karen Guice, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs, said the open source software is, “similar to the DoD’s theater EHR, which has been instrumental in supporting DoD’s need for capturing and exchanging health care data of our deployed service members.” She added that, “It seems only appropriate that we donate the software to the public, so it can be reused and adapted by both large and small users, as well as developers.”
Here is the complete May 22, 2012 news release:
Washington, D.C. - Many of the everyday technological conveniences you know and love, from the Internet on your smartphone to the navigation system in your car, got their start as purely military applications.
Following in that long tradition of turning over successful products to the public, the Department of Defense and developer Northrop Grumman Information Systems have agreed to provide a version of the military’s Electronic Health Record software to the Open Source Electronic Health Record Agent (OSEHRA), a nonprofit organization established to support advancements in EHR and health care information technology. Known as Open AHLTA, the software is similar to that used for troops on the battlefield and will be available on the OSEHRA website for free download and use.
The release of Open AHLTA follows the recent release of the Department of Veterans Affairs’ VistA software into the open-source environment, where it is also available for download through OSEHRA.
“The Open AHLTA software is similar to the DoD’s theater EHR, which has been instrumental in supporting DoD’s need for capturing and exchanging health care data of our deployed Service members,” said Dr. Karen Guice, principal deputy assistant secretary of defense for Health Affairs. “It seems only appropriate that we donate the software to the public, so it can be reused and adapted by both large and small users, as well as developers.”
Open AHLTA, similar to AHLTA-Theater, can run on a laptop or a server. AHLTA is the DoD EHR, used in military hospitals and treatment facilities, and currently supports more than 9.7 million U.S. Service members, retirees, family members and other dependents. AHLTA-Theater is fully compatible with AHLTA, is deployable, has a similar look and feel, and retains much of the same functionality as the main system.
But AHLTA-Theater is tailored to overcome the often austere and disconnected conditions of combat areas and afloat forces. It supports laptop documentation of clinical care, whether connected to a network or as a stand-alone system. In low- or no-communication environments, AHLTA-Theater utilizes a unique “store and forward” capability that allows data to be housed on a local database until connectivity is restored and transmission is possible.
According to the agreement, Open AHLTA will be available via the Apache 2.0 open-source license. Users will be able to download and use the code and developers will be able to review and modify the program for their own needs.
REINFORCING VA’s OPEN-SOURCE EFFORTS
The release of Open AHLTA, which can run on a smaller platform, is a perfect complement to VA’s VistA release, which can support a larger hospital or hospital system.
“The creation of an open-source VistA community generated an extremely positive response, with more than 850 members, representing 125 companies and agencies, joining OSEHRA to date,” said Roger Baker, VA’s Assistant Secretary for Information and Technology. “I believe that the Open AHLTA codebase will be a welcome addition to the products currently available and will be widely embraced by those working in the industry.”
Adding Open AHLTA to the open-source EHR offerings is expected to have a positive effect on spurring continued innovation, while also enabling others to benefit from the government’s investment in IT solutions.
“The agreement will make it easier for civilian developers to experiment and build new and innovative solutions that meet the evolving health IT needs of our nation’s Service members, Veterans and their families,” said Beth McGrath, the DoD’s Deputy Chief Management Officer. “It also provides an opportunity to give the public a return on its investment, and provide better health care options for all Americans.”
Also, as a laptop-oriented product designed to be used in some of the toughest situations in the world, Open AHLTA offers users and developers new options for flexibility and integration with existing open-source products.
“Northrop Grumman is pleased that a laptop version of AHLTA will now be available in the open source. This will continue the innovation begun by the partnership of Northrop Grumman with the Department of Defense,” said Amy (King) Caro, vice president of health information technology programs at Northrop Grumman Information Systems. “We are excited to support such a revolutionary effort to broaden availability of this advanced technology to the largest possible pool of talented innovators across the health care industry.”
WHY OPEN SOURCE?
“As VA and DoD move forward together in the development of next-generation Electronic Health Records, the use of open-source software and open, modular architectures is vital to our ability to rapidly innovate,” said Peter Levin, senior advisor to the Secretary and Chief Technology Officer at VA. “It is the improved health outcomes that we achieve through open-source software innovation that make contributions like Open AHLTA so important.”
The practice of open sourcing allows developers to study, improve and customize a software package, which can lead to identifying unknown bugs, developing new features or modifying existing functionality to serve a new purpose. The opportunities for new and exciting products are limited only by the number of developers working on such projects.
“By adding Open AHLTA to the list of open-source programs, we have an opportunity to capitalize on the innovations of the leading developers in the health care industry,” said Dr. Barclay Butler, director of the jointly-managed DoD/VA Interagency Program Office, which is developing the next-generation Integrated Electronic Health Record for both departments. “This will only extend the great work previously completed on these systems by both departments.”
According to Mary Ann Rockey, technical director of the DoD/VA IPO, open sourcing can speed up the development process.
“Now you are able to leverage the skills of many developers in a ‘community’ type of environment, to collaborate and refine the software,” Rockey said. “By donating code into open source, you open the aperture of skilled professionals who can provide innovative new products and services.”
“Open-source licensing directly supports our need to develop solutions that are technically feasible, clinically relevant and financially viable," added Mark Goodge, chief technology officer for the Military Health System and acting chief architect for the IPO. “This allows us to continue to deploy improved health IT solutions to our providers and beneficiaries, while also yielding a better return on investment for our taxpayers.”
Those investments could eventually pay significant dividends for the health care of everyday Americans.
“We know that greater adoption of Electronic Health Records improves care,” Guice said. “By donating Open AHLTA to the open-source environment, we are providing another option for users and developers in our pursuit of EHR alternatives for every patient in this country.”