An unpublished survey from the Department of Veterans Affairs revealed that its new Oracle Health EHR system is not helping improve patient care, Bloomberg reported June 7.
The VA conducted an internal survey in March and April with 2,000 users at five VA facilities and several off-site centers as part of an ongoing evaluation of its Oracle Health EHR system, a process that has involved a consultant for more than a year. The survey's findings, obtained by Bloomberg, were shared with the department's leadership and members of Congress.
The report, conducted in partnership with KLAS, found that fewer than 20% of physicians, nurses and other healthcare employees believe Oracle Health's EHR allows them to provide "high-quality care."
"There is a trend toward improvement, however, most users still indicate a negative experience," VA researchers wrote in the report.
The survey also found that only around 22% of VA respondents found their training on the new EHR system beneficial.
Additionally, only 45% of respondents reported receiving information about the reasons behind the VA's transition to the new Oracle Health system.
"We know from listening to VA clinicians that the electronic health record is not yet meeting expectations for our users — and we're holding Oracle Health and ourselves accountable to get this right,” Terrence Hayes, press secretary for the VA, said in a statement shared with Bloomberg. "That's why we conduct surveys like this: to better understand the experience of our providers in the field so we can make the EHR better for staff and veterans alike."
Spokespeople for Oracle and KLAS Research did not provide comments to Bloomberg.
The VA paused its $16 billion rollout of the Oracle Health EHR system in April to renegotiate a contract with Oracle that was signed in 2017.