The Social Security Administration is looking to Microsoft's HealthVault software to help cut down the exhausting delays in approving applicants for disability payments. Until now, the SSA has been deep in a paper-ridden process to approve applicants for its disability program even though it asks for between 15 and 20 million medical records per year.

HealthVault is a free online personal health record service in which patients are encouraged to collect and store their health information in a single location. The SSA announced last week that it is working with Microsoft to develop a technical prototype to connect the organizations. The SSA also is working with Microsoft to study health record standards and how to fix the gaps.

"The use of personal health records holds great promise for ensuring that the medical information we collect from someone applying for disability benefits is accurate and complete," SSA Commissioner Michael Astrue said in a news release. "Combined with other advancements in health information technology, our use of HealthVault should result in faster decisions for disability applicants."

For more on SSA's paperless quest:
- check out this Federal Computer Week article