MedCity morning read, Friday, April 10

Pres. Barack Obama visits U.S. troops at Camp Victory in Baghdad, Iraq

Pres. Barack Obama on Thursday took his commitment to electronic medical records a step further, according to the Washington Post.

Pres. Obama said his administration wants to create electronic medical records for veterans that would “contain their administrative and medical information from the day they first enlist to the day they are laid to rest,” the Post reported.

The Department of Defense and the Veterans’ Administration already have electronic medical records for members of the military — the VA’s system was among the first in the nation– but the records aren’t connected.

“Currently, there is no comprehensive system in place that allows for a streamlined transition of health records between DOD and the VA,” the presidentsaid during a briefing at the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Thursday, according to the Post.

This is a problem. Research has shownthe handoff of medical information from the individual to the hospital system is fraught with danger, the Post said. Incomplete, incomprehensible or misunderstood data can contribute to medical errors or substandard care.

“I can’t tell you how many stories that I’ve heard during the course of the last several years … about veterans who were finding it almost impossible to get the benefits that they had earned despite the fact that their disabilities or their needs were evident for all to see,” Obama said.

The president hopes that by using a common operating system for electronic medical records the handoffsbetween Defense Department and Veterans’ Administration will be seamless.

The Obama administrationhas made electronic record-keeping a key point in its health care reformbecause there is evidence the records reduce medical errors and cut down on waste, the Post said.

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