The Defense Health Agency (DHA) is committed to providing high-quality care to military personnel and their families. To address any concerns related to the quality of care provided by health care providers, DHA utilizes a clinical adverse action process. This process involves investigating these concerns and taking necessary actions to restrict or prohibit a provider from delivering care.
Recently, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) conducted a review of 55 clinical adverse action cases at four military medical treatment facilities. The review revealed that these facilities did not consistently follow specific requirements set by DHA. One key finding was that in over one-third of the cases reviewed, the facilities failed to establish a deadline for the investigation of a provider as required by DHA. Additionally, GAO found that DHA did not consistently report providers within the mandated time frames.
To improve the monitoring of adverse actions and establish timeliness requirements for different steps in the process, GAO made six recommendations to DHA. By implementing these recommendations, DHA can enhance its ability to address concerns about the quality of care provided by health care providers and ensure that necessary actions are taken in a timely manner. It is important for DHA to continue working towards improving its processes and procedures to provide the best possible care to those who serve our country.
