“Viewpoints” | Electronic Medical Information is Critical for Returning Service Members
Two years have passed since a Washington Post article revealed some instances of inadequate treatment of soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. The resulting public outcry and concern for our nation’s veterans led to a number of investigations and inquiries on what should be done to support wounded service members. Among the numerous recommendations that followed was a consistent call for the smooth exchange of information between the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability systems.
While such recommendations were an epiphany for some, many members of Congress, including me, had long ago realized that our two largest federal agencies were failing to provide a seamless transition from military to civilian life. Doing so is especially important for those enduring the military’s medical discharge process. The cornerstone of seamless transition should be a real-time, bidirectional, and interoperable electronic exchange of medical and personnel information.
This issue was personified for me during a Congressional oversight trip to Iraq in August of 2006. While there, I marveled at the advances in medical science that were saving the lives of soldiers, who in previous wars would have perished from comparable levels of trauma. But as wondrous as these life-saving techniques were, I was stunned when I saw the method being used to transfer vital medical information: severely injured service members had their medical records taped to their chests!
The contrast was remarkable. Had the same government that made such marvelous advances in medical technology not recognized the importance of electronic information exchange? I was obviously deeply concerned that the continuity of care for these injured heroes hinged on the adhesive quality of the tape being used to secure medical records to their chests.
Upon my return to Capitol Hill, I immediately began working on legislative efforts to reform these outdated methods that were jeopardizing the care of our veterans. I successfully amended H.R. 1538, the Wounded Warrior Assistance Act, which was later included in the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008 (P.L. 110-181). The amendment directed the VA and the DoD to take the following steps to improve the transition process:
- Development of a comprehensive policy on the care and management of members of the armed forces, including the development of a system that allows for fully interoperable electronic exchange of personnel health information;
- A uniform separation examination and evaluation that the VA could use for rating decisions; and
- An electronic DD-214.
As first chair and now ranking member of the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, I have continued efforts to eliminate the barriers between the VA and the DoD that hinder the continuity of medical care. The committee has held dozens of hearings on this issue, and I believe that there is positive momentum on this important issue, but much remains to be accomplished.
I am encouraged by the announcement that the Obama administration intends to implement a single DoD and VA electronic medical record. I look forward to learning more about this proposal, including the timeline for implementation, and I am hopeful that it may finally become a reality after 20 years of bureaucratic infighting.
I cannot emphasize enough that this is an essential step toward ensuring a seamless transition from the DoD to the VA for our proud veterans. We are well past the time for studies and commissions and we need the DoD and the VA to act. Our service members deserve nothing less.
“Viewpoints” blog postings are intended to allow non-Altarum Institute authors to pose their own opinions and policy positions in the realm of health care and health policy. As a leading nonprofit health care research and consulting institute dedicated to improving human health, Altarum encourages open discussion and debate about the many challenges in health care today. All postings to the Health Policy Forum (whether from employees or those outside the Institute) represent the views of the individual authors and/or organizations and do not necessarily represent the position, interests, strategy, or opinions of Altarum Institute. Altarum is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization. No posting should be considered an endorsement by Altarum of individual candidates, political parties, opinions, or policy positions. Read more.
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