That's the assumption I made after viewing today's meeting of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, which had an in-depth discussion on President Obama's national health IT plan. Somehow they ignored electronic health record systems that cover 9.2 million patients in the Defense Department and another 6.1 million at VA.
Add those two figures together, and you end up with electronic health record systems that cover roughly 5 percent of the population -- and probably are the largest systems in the world.
Although the process has been slow and painful, Defense and VA have gradually increased during the past few years the amount of patient data they can share between their two EHR systems.
Since exchange of patient information is key to the development of a nationwide health IT system, one wonders why the council folks did not invite Roger Baker, chief information officer at VA, and Charles Campbell, the Military Health System's CIO, to share their insights.
Maybe they are skedded for the next council gabfest.
COMMENTS
Not being invited to a forum does not mean VA and DOD are not fully engaged. I would have expected the head of the DoD/vA IPO created to oversee the creation of an interoperable EHR to attend; RADM Timberlake. The collaboration between DoD and VA is unprecedented, and demonstrates their mutual commitment to common goals.
The real challenge in my mind is establishing a common architecture approach. DoD and VA have two completely different architecture methods and ontologies. DoD and VA need a shared solution architecture, which can only be accomplished by integrating their efforts. This would be a perfect role for public/private partnerships and non-profits who do not have a vested interest in the outcome.
John Weiler 08/07/09 08:18 am ET
Regarding the Microsoft/Google/Yahoo/whatever position regarding national health records.... face it folks, these guys simply want to SELL their system. As for security and privacy of health records? I sure as hell would not want my health care information subject to the "security and privacy" of either Microsoft or Google. Their security is about as capable as a sieve holding water.
No thank you. Until the government, private sector and the medical industry can PROVE to us poor old dumb citizens that they will guarantee the privacy of our health care information, keep their hands off.
Harvey Hodges 08/07/09 07:46 am ET