Telehealth Monitor

President Obama said yesterday that his administration will create an electronic record for veterans that will “contain their administrative and medical information from the day they first enlist to the day that they are laid to rest.”

Research has shown that the handoff of medical information — between individuals and hospital systems — can be dangerous. Incomplete, incomprehensible or misunderstood data can contribute to medical error or substandard care.

While the Defense Department’s hospitals and the Veterans Affairs medical system have electronic records, they are not seamlessly connected — a problem Obama said he is determined to solve.

“Currently, there is no comprehensive system in place that allows for a streamlined transition of health records between DOD and the VA,” the president said during a briefing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building that was attended by the secretaries of those two departments as well as patients and practitioners from Washington area hospitals and military and VA facilities.

via Obama Seeks to Create Seamless Transition of Electronic Medical Records Between DOD and VA – washingtonpost.com.