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According to a study in HealthAffairs, the potential value of the VA’s healthcare IT investments is estimated to be approximately $3.09 billion in cumulative benefits net of investment costs.

In comparing healthcare IT within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to the standards in the private sector, researchers from the Center for IT Leadership in Charlestown, Mass., determined that the VA spent proportionately more on IT than the private healthcare sector spent, but it achieved higher levels of IT adoption and quality of care.

Through a benchmarking analysis, the authors sought to compare levels of healthcare IT system adoption by the VA to the private sector, as well as whether this adoption is associated with changes in the care process and the level of healthcare IT spending that is necessary to sustain adoption. 

The study found that the VA has higher ratios that the private sector in terms of healthcare IT total spending, as well as for IT operations and maintenance costs.  In terms of capital expenses, however, the VA is at or below the industry averages, wrote the authors.

For IT adoption, the VA has achieved nearly 100 percent adoption rates of several VistA components since 2004, compared to the private healthcare sector, which has not reached significant adoption of any of these systems, the study found. The researchers wrote that currently, adoption of inpatient EHR s stands at 61 percent; use of inpatient bar code medication administration is at 22 percent; computerized physician order entry adoption is at 16 percent and outpatient EHR adoption stands at 12 percent.

Citing potential limitations to their study, the authors wrote that differences in capital, operations and maintenance spending between the VA and the private healthcare sector may reflect differences in their relative stages of adoption and most organization in the private sector may be in the preliminary adoption stages.

Citing their study as a framework to inform efforts to measure and calculate the benefits of federal healthcare IT stimulus programs, the researchers concluded that the results of their study are consistent with previous research.

Source : HealthAffairs

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