The Department of Veterans Affairs could soon connect its database of patient records with ClinicalConnect, a regional health information exchange in western Pennsylvania led by Pittsburgh-based UPMC, according to a report in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
As soon as January 2015, all the providers participating in ClinicalConnect would be able to exchange patient information with the VA, reducing duplicate tests and procedures and improving continuity of care, according to the report.
More than half of veterans who use the VA's medical services have alternate forms of insurance, David S. Macpherson, a medical professor at the University of Pittsburgh and the chief medical officer of the VA's regional network office, told the Post-Gazette, meaning the partnership would benefit a significant number of patients in the region.
ClinicalConnect currently has six participating hospitals and health systems, in addition to UPMC: Butler (Pa.) Health System, Armstrong County Memorial Hospital in Kittanning, Pa., Excela Health in Greensburg, Pa., Heritage Valley Health System in Sewickley, Pa., St. Clair Hospital in Pittsburgh and Washington (Pa.) Health System.
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