Digital pioneer: VA hospitals

The Department of Veterans Affairs has had its own struggles with e-health records but it's so far ahead of the private sector that it is a great role model for those just getting started. Doctors and hospitals are moving toward digitized records with the help of nearly $20 billion in stimulus money. The Obama administration argues that it will save time and deliver better medicine.

Many independent studies have already shown that the VA delivers better results on many measures such preventive services and chronic care. VA officials say the technology allowed it to cut down on hospitalizations and gives patients better care, helping them to live longer. The records system provides an easy way to track physician performance. Over the years, the quality goes up, but costs stay flat.

E-health records also allow medical personnel to share information at more than 1,400 facilities, avoiding the problem of ordering duplicate or unnecessary tests. They give the VA a way to monitor patient care at home, and to keep tabs on chronic illnesses.

It sure would be nice if other agencies had systems that could be cutting edge and serve as the model for the private sector. There are some good initiatives in other government agencies, but nothing stands out quite like the VA on e-health records; at least not yet.

For more on the VA's e-health records:
- see this Wall Street Journal article

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