Australian Department of Defence, CSC sign contract to develop, implement JeHDI system for ADF

In a press conference today with the Australian Department of Defence, CSC announced it has signed a five-year information technology (IT) contract to develop and implement an electronic health (eHealth) information system for the Australian Defence Force (ADF) known as the Joint eHealth Data and Information (JeHDI) system.

CSC will deliver a mature, centralized, web-accessible, military specific, primary care solution known as EMIS into the Defence Information Environment. Along with partnering software providers, CSC will also provide application hosting and IT support services, organizational change, communication, training and project management.

"The JeHDI system represents one of the first comprehensive eHealth record projects across Australia and will support the needs of modernizing the Defence organization," said Gavin Larkings, president of CSC in Australia. "This project is an important example of a modernized health system optimizing the use of eHealth technologies to provide the right healthcare at the right time in the right place. JeHDI is a significant project for Defence and we foresee it as a showcase for Australia's eHealth evolution."

Commander Joint Health, Major General Paul Alexander said, "I am very pleased that the Australian Department of Defence, and our industry partners, have been able to achieve this significant milestone in the delivery of an electronic health information system. The JeHDI system will enable us to provide high-quality healthcare that supports our members within Australia."

The JeHDI system will not only provide an eHealth record for all personnel, but also give the Department of Defence the ability to map health-related trends of the ADF and derive financial reports on its healthcare costs.

"At CSC, we collaborate with top technology partners to provide the best solutions for our clients," said Russell Hatton, CSC's general manager of Defence. "For JeHDI, CSC assessed the specific requirements of the ADF and, based on these unique needs, the EMIS solution was the right answer. EMIS operates in both Health and Defence."

CSC is the world's largest health systems integrator, with large scale eHealth programs successfully operating for many years in the U.K., U.S. and across Europe. In Australia, CSC has been working with large public sector health organizations to progress the eHealth agenda and to manage and plan for modernized eHealth programs.

"Our international healthcare expertise and reach allowed us to quickly assess the global marketplace for the right healthcare systems and solutions for Australia's Defence needs," said Lisa Pettigrew, CSC's director of Health Services. "Our international healthcare network mobilized quickly and will continue to support our local team to deliver one of Australia's first comprehensive electronic health record projects."

"At CSC, we are proud to remain at the forefront of eHealth reform across Australia. We have made substantial investments to support the growing eHealth needs of clinicians, consumers and government," Pettigrew continued.

Joint Health Command, which is part of the Vice Chief of the Defence Force Group responsible for provisioning healthcare to the ADF, received a huge response to their request for tender. CSC was selected not only for its customized military specific solution, but also because of its 30-year history as an Australian Defence Prime Systems Integrator.