Where does the data for PHN come from and how often is it updated?
The data presented in PHN is obtained from DEERS, M2, PDTS (Pharmacy Data Transaction Service) and CHCS downloads (for laboratory results, radiology studies, and PCM information). The dataset reflects inpatient and outpatient care, from both military and network treatment facilities provided to MTF enrollees. PHN is updated monthly with an estimated 4-6 week lag time. PHN states how current the data is (i.e., when the data was last pulled) by providing a banner at the top of the screen, “Information current as of: …†The predominant source for measures comes from MHS administrative data from the MHS Management Analysis and Reporting Tool (M2), formerly the All Region Server (ARS) Bridge. The M2 is an informational system built by the Executive Information/Decision Support (EI/DS) Program Office in conjunction with the TRICARE Management Activity, Health Program Analysis and Evaluation (HPA&E) Directorate. The M2 is a set of MHS data files from military treatment facilities, manage
