VA to allow easier sharing of medical info with Pentagon
Published: October 26, 2011
The Department of Veterans Affairs said Wednesday that it’s changing its rules to make it easier to share some kinds of medical information with the Department of Defense.
The rule change will make it easier for the VA and Pentagon to exchange information on treatments for drug abuse, alcoholism or alcohol abuse, HIV status, and sickle cell anemia.
VA officials said its rule prohibiting information-sharing was overly strict because the agency was concerned about patient privacy. Other laws are sufficient, and making the change should enable veterans to receive better and more timely treatment.
“VA and DOD clinicians must have the most accurate and comprehensive data available to ensure they provide the highest quality care possible,” VA secretary Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement announcing the change. “We have discovered that, particularly in this age of electronic health records, this regulatory restriction created an impediment to maximizing this exchange of information.”
The change comes as the VA and the Pentagon are more than two years removed from a commitment its leaders made to create seamless, lifetime medical records for troops and veterans. Officials said during the summer in their most optimistic estimates, they hope to have the system set up by 2017.
