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Research Highlights
VA's Electronic Medical Records Heralded by Senator William Frist
July 27, 2005
Electronic medical records will save money and lives, according to U.S. Senator William Frist (R-Tenn), in a recent editorial in the San Francisco Chronicle. Developing an electronic medical records system like VA's is now ranked as a "high priority" in the effort to improve national health care. A study comparing patients at a VA hospital in Washington, DC with Medicare patients treated at a variety of public and private hospitals showed that VA patients were in better health and received more guideline-recommended care. "According to VA's own medical professionals, a computer system called VISTA is the key to their success," states Senator Frist. VA's VISTA (Veterans' Health Information System and Technology Architecture) is an integrated clinical database and electronic medical records system that supports the daily management and delivery of health care services.
Senator Frist noted that, "While the VA has invested a lot in its computer system, most hospitals, clinics, and doctors haven't invested enough." To rectify this situation, he is working with Senators Hilary Clinton (D-NY), Mike Enzi (R-Wyo), and Edward Kennedy (D-MA), to propose bipartisan legislation that "would begin the process of setting up a system that allows data sharing, available everywhere, and protects privacy while rewarding quality."
Frist, W. Why we must invest in electronic medical records. Sunday, July 24, 2005; Editorial, San Francisco Chronicle http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?file=/chronicle/archive/2005/07/24/EDGFVC9JFF1.DTL.
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