Noteboom The Law Firm

DoD and VA Developing Integrated System to Improve Veteran Health Care

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and the Department of Defense (DoD) have been working both together and separately on an application that would provide physicians from both departments the ability to view the same patient information.

Both departments are testing the application in their Hawaii facilities.

The application is a graphical interface. This is the first step, or the doorway, into what will eventually develop into a shared electronic health record (EHR). This particular application will allow the medical professional accessing the system to look at all of a patients' information from his or her VA VISTA and the DoD AHLTA records. The new interface will combine all collected information into one medical record for the viewing clinician.

The single provided record will indicate the source of every piece of information, i.e., whether it originated from the VA or the DoD system. Further, medical images of "diagnostic quality" will be made available from both the VA and the DoD system through the interface.

The interface was designed based on feedback collected from clinicians. It is a browser-based interface, and it can be easily configured to meet specific needs. Once the limited testing is completed in Hawaii, the interface will be turned into a pilot program in Chicago.

Both agencies have a goal of providing the best possible health care for veterans and active duty personnel. Using a joint EHR system is a big step in accomplishing that goal. The entire incorporation process is expected to take 4 to 6 years.

If you are a disabled veteran who has been denied disability compensation or have not yet applied for benefits from the VA, a South Florida disability attorney from LaVan & Neidenberg is ready to help. To learn if you are entitled to certain programs and benefits contact our veterans disability rights firm today - 1-888-234-5758.