Armed Forces Health Longitudinal Technology Application (AHLTA)

AHLTA had its birth in the State of the Union speech given by President George W. Bush in 2004, with a goal of having electronic medical records in all hospitals. The Department of Defense chose not to use the VA system VistA, but build their own, at a cost of around $5 billion. Satisfaction with the system is reportedly low, and there are ongoing attempts to address user issues. One important aspect this product brought to the world, however, was the ability to capture data on handheld devices in the battlefield. It has also allowed the extremely mobile military force to have medical information available worldwide.