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Two of nation’s largest electronic health record systems announce partnership
The pilot program currently under way should benefit veterans across the nation, officials say.
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Kaiser Permanente and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have announced the formation of a pilot program designed to exchange electronic health record information using the Nationwide Health Information Network created by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The pilot program connects Kaiser Permanente HealthConnect and the VA’s electronic health record (EHR) system, VistA, two of the largest EHR systems in the country.
Only with permission
“This partnership demonstrates the power of a large-scale EHR that safely connects several care systems,” Andrew M. Wiesenthal, MD, an associate executive director of The Permanente Federation, stated in a release. “Securely digitizing America’s health care information is only the first step in realizing the cost saving and improved quality of benefits possible with health care technology.”
Although the program seeks to increase the flow of patient information through multiple EHR databases, both Kaiser Permanente and VA, said no information is shared without the “explicit permission” of the patient.
Physicians of patients choosing to participate will have access to key health record information from other participating institutions.
Helping information flow
The formation of an open, nationwide record for health care providers with multiple institutions is one step in the continuing effort to improve patient care through the creation of large, electronic databases.
In June, legislators introduced a bill in the U.S. House of Representatives to establish a national hip and knee joint replacement registry.
If approved, the Knee and Hip Replacement Act of 2009 would create a national registry within the Agency for Health Care Research and Quality at the HHS to collect and analyze data on patients with hip and knee replacements.
“Better, faster and safer care”
Officials labeled the new program “exciting.”
“Utilizing the NHIN’s standards and network will allow organizations like VA and the Department of Defense to partner with private sector health care providers to promote better, faster and safer care for Veterans,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki, stated in a release.
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