Va Gets Kudos On

[Berta]

Source VA Media Press Release

"Medical Journal Praises VA Electronic Health Record

VA Continues to Lead Health Care Industry

WASHINGTON (April 6, 2009) - A recent study in the prestigious New

England Journal of Medicine singles out the Department of Veterans

Affairs (VA) for its successful implementation of a comprehensive system

of electronic health records.

The study's authors, led by Dr. Ashish K. Jha of Harvard University,

noted that VA's use of electronic health records has significantly

enhanced the quality of patient care. They also found that only 1.5

percent of U.S. hospitals have comprehensive electronic health records;

adding VA hospitals to the analyses doubled that number.

"VA hospitals have used electronic health records for more than a decade

with dramatic associated improvements in clinical quality," the study's

authors wrote.

VA clinicians began using computerized patient records in the mid-1990s

for everything from recording examinations by doctors to displaying

results of lab tests and x-rays. Patient records are available 100

percent of the time to VA health care workers, compared to 60 percent

when VA relied on paper records.

Dr. Michael J. Kussman, VA's under secretary for health, said VA has

"one of the most comprehensive and sophisticated electronic systems" for

patient records in the nation.

"VA's electronic health record system has largely eliminated errors

stemming from lost or incomplete medical records, making us one of the

safest systems in the health care industry," Kussman said.

The authors of the NEJM article are the latest to praise VA for its

technology and commitment to patient safety. In 2006, VA received the

prestigious "Innovations in American Government" Award from Harvard's

Kennedy School of Government for its advanced electronic health records

and performance measurement system."

[purple]

...yeah there is another vet (but a male) with the same last name as me (a common name) that I often receive appt phone call reminders for...

[broncovet]

Hmmm..if the VA has such good electronic records, why are C &P still on paper, and being shredded?

[Meddac]

Hmmm..if the VA has such good electronic records, why are C &P still on paper, and being shredded?

For us (at my RO anyway) C&P's are still on paper, but they are also available electronically. I can re-print an exam at a moments notice. I assume it's the same for...should be, but maybe it isn't.

I should also add that I can pull records from 1998 or 1999 to present from any VAMC that is keeping the records electronically. Once again, I only assume that they all are. I have Vets all the time that have records in different states, and I haven't run into a problem pulling those records...yet.

[Meddac]

Hmmm..if the VA has such good electronic records, why are C &P still on paper, and being shredded?

For us (at my RO anyway) C&P's are still on paper, but they are also available electronically. I can re-print an exam at a moments notice. I assume it's the same for...should be, but maybe it isn't.

I should also add that I can pull records from 1998 or 1999 to present from any VAMC that is keeping the records electronically. Once again, I only assume that they all are. I have Vets all the time that have records in different states, and I haven't run into a problem pulling those records...yet.

[SLEDGE]

"Sorry, I think I just puked in my mouth."

"I also find it interesting that one VAMC in the same state can't access any previous VAMC medical records, labs, MRI's, ex-rays on me at another VAMC while doing a neurological workup or orthopeadic workup."

"WASHINGTON (April 6, 2009) - A recent study in the prestigious New

England Journal of Medicine singles out the Department of Veterans

Affairs (VA) for its successful implementation of a comprehensive system

of electronic health records."

IMO, congress probably commissioned this bit of fiction in order to have a so-called expert opinion to fall back on when they speak politically to the voters.

In these hectic financial times our elected reps are looking for any reason to keep up the funding for their pet projects.

By keeping us from getting any better care they can stump for bridges that go nowhere and new buildings where nobody needs one.

We are witnessing politics getting back to normal.

Even when I place hand-carried VA records into the hands of VA specialist, the specialist does not believe they are mine.

I walk in pain, through the pain and that does not jive with the x-rays.

So I belong in a wheelchair, sue me.

sledge

[purple]

I sent an e-mail to one of the authors of this study, Dr. Jha, if he responds, I'll post it here.