DoD, VA Enhance Record-Sharing

The Defense and Veterans Affairs departments took steps to enhance sharing of patients’ and beneficiaries’ electronic records. The recent changes, part of a continuing joint effort by DoD and VA, will enable care providers and users in the two systems to keep better tabs on clinic visits, medical procedures, and other health-related matters. The list of information now shared by the two departments expands under the changes to include pharmacy, allergy, microbiology, and chemistry/hematology data to the existing bank of information. "These enhancements demonstrate the unprecedented level of interoperabilty that DoD and VA have been able to achieve with our electronic health record systems, and they contribute significantly to patient safety and continuity of care," said Dr. S. Ward Casscells, the assistant secretary of defense for health affairs.