The joint HIE is available to all VA and Defense Department healthcare providers as well as the community partners. Patients can choose to opt out of sharing so their health records will not be exchanged through the program.
“The recent COVID-19 pandemic underlines the importance for clinicians on the front lines to quickly access a patient’s health record, regardless of where that patient previously received care,” said Neil Evans, MD, the interim director of the federal EHR modernization program. “As the DOD and VA implement a single, common record, the joint health information exchange and the associated expansion of community exchange partners is a critical step forward, delivering immediate value to all DOD and VA sites.”
The VA and Defense Department are each implementing Cerner EHR systems, which are designed to be interoperable. However, both agencies paused their EHR projects earlier this month to focus on the COVID-19 pandemic.
More articles on EHRs:
How NYC Health + Hospitals equipped its 1,000-bed field hospital with EMR, hospital tech
New Jersey health department, University Hospital tap Epic for EHR at state field hospital
Mayo Clinic develops EHR tool to track contact between employees and COVID-19 exposure
