Skip to main content

Military Health System

Top five digital health trends for military medical providers in 2021

Image of Dr. Pincus with text "Top Five Digital Health Trends for Military Medical Providers in 2021". Image of Dr. Pincus with text "Top Five Digital Health Trends for Military Medical Providers in 2021"

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | Telehealth Program

Few years have ever tested the endurance, skill, and resolve of the Military Health System like 2020. For 10 seemingly endless months, the COVID-19 pandemic has besieged the United States and military providers continue to defend the medical front lines every day. The fight won’t end with the New Year. We must continue to do all we can to ensure the health and safety of our beneficiaries, providers, and frontline health care workers in 2021 and thereafter.

Looking back on all we as a community have been through and learned, I suggest MHS providers keep an eye on these five digital health trends in 2021:

1. The COVID-19 pandemic will accelerate the need for virtual health, especially for tele-critical care

The COVID-19 pandemic response catapulted virtual health to a prominent role in the delivery of health care to our beneficiaries in the Department of Defense (DOD) and the U.S. health care system as a whole. Through enterprise-wide processes, technology, and training, the Defense Health Agency has supported a local, regional, and global multi-tiered virtual health response that continues to sustain care while keeping beneficiaries and health care teams safe.

The spike in COVID-19 cases this winter is anticipated to significantly increase requirements for intensive care. A significant subset of those patients lives in areas with limited critical care expertise and capacity. DHA is helping address this shortfall through the Joint Tele-Critical Care Network. The JTCCN leverages virtual health to extend critical-care resources and treatment at a distance, similar in concept to how air traffic control systems track and direct planes to ensure they — and their passengers — safely reach their destinations.

The JTCCN provided almost 1,200 days of coverage to more than 300 unique patients in 61 intensive care unit beds across 11 spoke sites from January 2020 to June 2020. DHA is also exploring a partnership with the Department of Veterans Affairs to establish a single federal tele-critical care network to provide care to any of the 1,700 VA or 400 DHA ICU beds.

2. Virtual health will catalyze conversations about the future of health care delivery

The many lessons learned from the COVID-19 response make it clear that virtual health will become an increasingly important and integral part of MHS care delivery for the foreseeable future. DHA is planning to ensure beneficiaries and care teams get the digital tools and support they need for high-quality care, anytime and anywhere.

Rapid adoption and acceptance of virtual health is already catalyzing significant, permanent change in culture and business processes throughout the MHS. The traditional paradigm has flipped — we have gone from unquestioningly assuming in-person care is the de facto standard to weighing many different options for safe, high-quality care. Should we work in the office or telework, synchronously or asynchronously? What patient care can be delivered virtually, which patients need to be seen in person, and how do we respond to patients’ new expectations?

3. The DHA transition and MHS GENESIS implementation will encourage standardization, optimization, and innovation

At the same time as COVID-19 and virtual health radically reshape the health care landscape, the MHS continues its own major transformation establishing a market-based structure for health care delivery and the continued support of medical readiness.

In this transition, DHA will combine all military medical treatment facilities and ensure they provide care in a unified, standardized way to all 9.6 million beneficiaries worldwide. This standardization of technology, processes, and workflows will improve health care access, delivery, outcomes, and patient experience of care. It will also help to reduce redundancies.

One way the MHS will provide that improved care is through DOD’s new electronic health record MHS GENESIS, which will continue its rollout through 2023. MHS GENESIS is not just an electronic health record — it’s a living, breathing system of care that translates evolving clinical needs into clinical workflows through health information technology.

As DOD and its partners advance each wave of deployment, health informatics experts at DHA leverage user feedback to improve the systems configuration at an enterprise level. These ongoing upgrades are designed to improve system usability for both patients and providers, as well as improve the continuity of care among facilities. Significant MHS GENESIS improvements include secure messaging between patients and their care teams and the ability of providers to dictate directly into the EHR.

4. Integration and interoperability will encourage new insights and partnerships

Patients, providers, and the MHS enterprise can truly benefit from the DHA transition and MHS GENESIS only if we ensure that the technology, strategy, policies, and guidance we put in place make it easy for them to connect with each other through digital and virtual means.

For that to happen, the technology needs to be interoperable. The MHS has a worldwide, highly mobile population that moves between legacy (such as AHLTA and Essentris®) and the new MHS GENESIS EHR. DHA has made progress toward an interoperability among MHS GENESIS, AHLTA, VA and health care networks through its Joint Longitudinal Viewer (formerly Joint Legacy Viewer) / joint Health Information Exchange. When fully deployed, MHS GENESIS will provide a single health record for all service members, eligible veterans, retirees, and their families.

Integration of technology is also essential. More integrated systems improve security and the ability to share information. Over time, integration of EHR and digital data from providers, patients, and remote health monitoring will create a well of data that—by applying artificial intelligence and predictive analytics—can help reduce redundancy and delay of care and improve outcomes. All these efforts are already in progress, it’s exciting.

We need to integrate all these efforts in rapid, agile ways, which requires coordination through partnerships. Multiple stakeholders across the MHS must work together to make that happen.

For the Connected Health Branch, coordinating across the MHS and its other partners is essential to help create a care system—both individuals and technology—that delivers integrated digital health that improves both health and military readiness.

5. Successful providers will keep patients at the center of care

We not only have to partner at the organizational level, we have to individually treat each patient as a partner as well. We have to understand where our patients are coming from, meet them where they are, and put them at the center of everything we do.

Having an open, flexible mindset on how to collaborate with patients, especially by leveraging digital means, to accomplish health care goals is important these days. Patients often do their own research into health care treatments and tools (and providers!) using technology.

As providers, we need to listen. If we’re not engaging patients as the savvy consumers they are, we’ve lost them at hello. That disconnect could determine whether the patient is able to effectively use safe, evidence-based digital health tools, or we learn about valuable new research and technology to help that patient and others.

This year has taught all MHS providers unforgettable lessons and will forever change how we view and accomplish our mission to ensure military readiness. Next year will push us to be more innovative than ever before. The new year also gives us the opportunity to partner with each other, our organizations, and our patients, so we can all expand lifesaving and health-improving capabilities for service members, their families, and the country.

You also may be interested in...

Army Medicine Europe Provides Additional COVID Vaccinations for Immune Compromised

Article Around MHS
9/13/2021
Franz Dietrich, a German local national assigned to Training Support Activity Europe, receives a COVID-19 vaccination at the 7th Army Training Command's (7ATC) Rose Barracks, Vilseck, Germany, May 4, 2021. The U.S. Army Health Clinics at Grafenwoehr and Vilseck conducted a "One Community" COVID-19 vaccine drive May 3-7 to provide thousands of appointments to the 7ATC community of Soldiers, spouses, Department of the Army civilians, veterans and local nationals employed by the U.S. Army. (U.S. Army photo by Markus Rauchenberger)

Army medical treatment facilities in Europe are now offering an additional dose of COVID vaccine for immune compromised beneficiaries.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

The COVID-19 Pandemic: How Health Care Workers are Coping

Article
9/13/2021
a nurse helping a COVID-19 patient

For health care providers, experiencing the pandemic inside a hospital has brought

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Podcasts

Increased COVID Restrictions on the Pentagon Reservation

Article
9/8/2021
Military personnel wearing a face mask

Due to the increase in COVID-19 cases and positive test cases in the National Capital Region, the Pentagon Reservation will move to Health Protection Condition Bravo Plus (Bravo+)

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Coast Guard launches electronic health record system in Pacific Area

Article
9/3/2021
Coast Guard medical personnel using MHS GENESIS

U.S. Coast Guard launches electronic health record system in Pacific Area, and moves from paper records to a new EHR.

Recommended Content:

MHS GENESIS Pre-Deployment Awareness | MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record | MHS GENESIS

Digital health innovation emerges during COVID-19 pandemic

Article
8/31/2021
The Defense Health Agency’s Connected Health Branch was there to support, advise and deliver new health innovations throughout the pandemic. (Graphic courtesy of DHA Connected Health)

The DHA's Connected Health Branch was there to support, advise, and deliver new health innovations throughout the pandemic.

Recommended Content:

Health Care Technology | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

As Fitness Tests Resume, Troops Seek Post-COVID Exercise Routines

Article
8/31/2021
Military personnel physically training

Keeping fit during pandemic proves hard for some.

Recommended Content:

Total Force Fitness | Physical Fitness | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Federal leaders highlight electronic health record changes at HIMSS

Article
8/31/2021
Federal leaders being interviewed

The new Federal electronic health record delivers data to healthcare teams wherever a patient receives treatment.

Recommended Content:

Health Care Technology | MHS GENESIS: The Electronic Health Record

COVID-19 Booster Shots

Infographic
8/27/2021

If you have an immune system that is moderately to severely compromised, the CDC recommends you may receive an additional dose of mRNA COVID-19 vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna). This would be at least 4 weeks after your second dose.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Secretary of Defense Mandates COVID-19 Vaccinations for Service Members

Article
8/26/2021
An Army medic administers the COVID-19 vaccine to another soldier.

Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III yesterday issued a memorandum directing mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for service members.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

DOD Intends to Mandate Pfizer Vaccine, Pentagon Official Says

Article
8/25/2021
Pentagon Press Secretary John F. Kirby holds a press briefing, at the Pentagon, Washington, D.C.

Kirby said the health of DOD's military and civilian employees, families and communities is a top priority.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

CSM Gragg Vaccine Statement

Video
8/24/2021
CSM Gragg speaks about COVID-19

CSM Gragg shares his personal story dealing with COVID and the loss associated with it and urges all to take precautions.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Maintaining Mission Readiness During a Pandemic

Article
8/24/2021
Gen. Place presents at HIMSS in Las Vegas.

DHA Director Army Lt. Gen. (Dr.) Ronald Place discussed the national security implications of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Health Readiness Support Division

Lt. Gen. Place and Command Sgt. Maj. Gragg on Getting Vaccinated

Video
8/16/2021
DHA Logo with the text: Importance of Vaccinations Lt. Gen. Ronald J. Place & Command Sgt. Maj. Michael L. Gragg

DHA Director Lt. Gen. Ron Place and DHA Senior Enlisted Leader Command Sgt. Maj. Michael Gragg talk about how getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is more important than ever.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts | Coronavirus & the MHS Response

Reform, COVID-19 Have Been Catalysts for Change in Military Medicine

Article
8/16/2021
Dr. Terry Adirim speaking to an audience at a conference

Healthcare is about taking care of people, so no amount of change or innovation is ever sufficient if modernization does not lead to helping patients, says acting ASDHA at HIMSS21 in Las Vegas.

Recommended Content:

Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Coronavirus and the COVID-19 Vaccine | Military Health System Transformation

Don't Hesitate: Vaccinate Today for School

Article
8/13/2021
A boy gets the COVID-19 vaccine

Back to School Means Vaccine Time

Recommended Content:

COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts | Coronavirus & the MHS Response | Immunization Healthcare Division | Vaccine-Preventable Diseases | Vaccine Recommendations | Children's Health | Immunizations | Information for Patients: About TRICARE
<< < ... 6 7 8 9 10  ... > >> 
Showing results 121 - 135 Page 9 of 30
Refine your search
Last Updated: August 18, 2022
Follow us on Instagram Follow us on LinkedIn Follow us on Facebook Follow us on Twitter Follow us on YouTube Sign up on GovDelivery