NIH Awards El Segundo-Based Company $32 Million Contract To Overhaul Medical Information Systems
NIH has awarded a $32 million contract to El Segundo-based Computer Sciences Corporation to overhaul the agency's medical information systems, Washington Technology reports. Under the agreement, CSC will replace and expand the agency's clinical care and research data systems. About 36 CSC employees will provide NIH with systems integration, program management and training services to improve operations and patient care. "The existing system is 25 years old. That means it was based on technology at a time when there were no standards, so it's very difficult to interconnect with other systems. It had to provide patient support functions (and) never supported research very well. ... With the new capabilities made possible by technology, we can support both care and research as primary functions," according to Dr. Stephen Rosenfeld, head of clinical research informatics at Warren Grant Magnuson Clinical Center, an NIH onsite hospital that conducts clinical research. The one-year agreement with CSC has five one-year extension options (Wait, Washington Technology, 10/25). For more iHealth & Technology stories, visit iHealthBeat.org, a new Web publication sponsored by the California HealthCare Foundation.
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