The Department of Veterans Affairs is one of just a handful of health systems -- and the largest -- to transition to a virtually paperless health records system, the Washington Post reports. The VA since 1999 has been using an electronic health record system to increase efficiency, prevent errors and reduce costs.
Physicians can use the system to access data and identify trends in physiological variables. The system alerts physicians of any potential prescription drug interactions and ensures that patients receive the correct drug and dose. The EHR system also enables doctors to check not only what medications patients have been prescribed but what drugs they actually received from the pharmacy.
The VA currently is launching "My HealtheVet," which will enable patients to create a portal to their personal records where they can add their own measurements, such as weight and blood pressure, list over-the-counter medications they are taking and comment on their health, the Post reports.
A study published in 2004 looked at the care received by VA and non-VA patients in 12 communities using 348 quality measures. The study found that VA patients scored higher on overall quality, chronic disease care and preventive care.
Some argue that EHRs could jeopardize patient privacy, but VA officials say that patient privacy is more secure now that data are stored electronically. The VA in the past two and a half years has looked into 20 complaints of security breaches. VA spokesperson Jo Schuda said 17 were for unauthorized access of patient records and three were for releasing medical data to third parties without patient consent (Brown, Washington Post, 4/10).