Departments of Defense and Veterans Affairs: Status of the Integrated Electronic Health Record (iEHR)
Abstract
Electronic health records (EHRs) play an important role in optimizing the health care provided to active duty servicemembers and veterans. When a servicemember leaves military service by way of discharge, separation, or retirement he or she may become eligible for VA benefits and services including VA health care. Transitioning their health care information from one large health care system (Department of Defense; DOD) to the other (Department of Veterans Affairs; VA) involves coordination of data and information between DOD and VA. Longstanding concern that this exchange be effective has been expressed in many quarters, including Congress. The DOD and the VA have been working to exchange patient health information since 1998. To date, both Departments initiatives include (1) the Federal Health Information Exchange (FHIE), which enables the one-way transfer of servicemembers electronic health information from DOD to VA for all separated servicemembers; (2) the Bidirectional Health Information Exchange (BHIE), which allows health care providers from both Departments viewable access to records of shared patients; (3) the Clinical Data Repository/Veterans Affairs Health Data Repository (CHDR),which enables the DOD and VA to exchange computable outpatient pharmacy and drug allergy information for shared patients; and (4) the Laboratory Data Sharing Interphase (LDSI), which allows DOD and VA facilities to share laboratory information.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 26, 2013
- Accession Number
- ADA590416
Entities
People
- Don J. Jansen
- Sidath V. Panangala
Organizations
- Library of Congress