The organization, which is partnering with digital health company Amwell on the transformation project, has begun to roll out telehealth and digital wellness tools at five hospitals. The agency's My Military Health is comprised of three offerings for providers and patients: a self-care wellness program, a secure virtual visit platform and a digital companion to improve patient compliance.
Naomi Escoffery, chief accelerator officer and innovation program manager at the Defense Health Agency, spoke about how the organization views this digital transformation, where the Military Health System lags the private health system and more. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
What made the Defense Health Agency interested in this investment?
I think access is definitely something we heard on a consistent basis — getting appointments. It's really a culture shift. As civilians, everything that we're talking about within My Military Health, you and I already have access to. I have an app on my phone where I can see when my provider is available. I can click on an appointment and I can see her today, if she has an availability. That's something that we take for granted every single day because of our healthcare system. The Military Health System does not have that. If I'm active duty, and I'm in the North Capitol Region within [the Washington D.C., Maryland and Virginia area ]— I have to call Walter Reed for an appointment. If they don't have an appointment, I have to hang up and then I have to call Fort Belvoir. If they don’t have an appointment, I have to hang up and have to call [Joint Base] Andrews. You see where I'm going? They have a very laborious process to get an appointment when it should just be easy access. It's already available.
It sounds like you’re trying to meet patients where they are and bring some of what civilian healthcare offers?
Our military hospitals have some of the best care possible. We are designed as a Military Health System to deliver care for individuals who potentially are going to go to war. So, you can only imagine how supreme that healthcare has to be. It's not a matter of healthcare being better in the commercial world or being better in the military. The difference between the civilian sector and the military sector is access. It is being able to get access to your care when you want it anytime, anywhere, [and] always. Our focus is making sure that we have the platform to provide that.
Why is digital health so central to increasing access?
There are so many things that we're able to do with technology and so many things we're able to do with data. We have a significant amount of data that will help our patients be more mindful of their health. The goal is not to treat the disease. It’s to treat and help the person and not have to have them come to a military health treatment facility. [The goal is to] have their tools at their beck and call when they need their healthcare.
Do you envision any challenges rolling out this platform?
We are doing something that's unprecedented in the government. We’re moving fast, we’re leveraging resources that typically you don't really see in government. We don't really see government moving very fast. We’ve created a system called the accelerator, which is is designed to really get after moving things very fast. The challenge I see is that it may be uncomfortable for folks at the very beginning. But, as we continue to mature our accelerator and that methodology of moving things quickly, I think that we'll be able to address those challenges. We are moving very fast, ambiguously and with uncertainty, but we're showing progress. We're showing that we're able to get things done quickly.
