DoD & VA Improve Medical Record Sharing Effort

DoD and VA Improve Sharing Effort 11/27/08. The sharing efforts between DoD and VA, which began in 2001, are on-target to meet requirements of the 2008 National Defense Authorization Act, said Dr. Gerald Cross, principal deputy under secretary for health at the Veterans Health Administration. Bi-directional Health Information Exchange (BHIE), the system that allows for DoD and VA to share their electronic health information, is now available at all DoD and VA medical facilities, said Cross. By allowing a VA doctor to see a veteran’s DoD medical record, including lab results, vital signs and allergies, duplicative testing and drug interactions may be prevented, and a better continuity of care is possible as a service member moves from DoD to VA care. Military Health System