VA & DOD Expand Electronic Records Program

The Veterans Administration (VA) and Department of Defense (DOD) have plans to expand the virtual lifetime electronic record (VLER) program to 11 new site around the country. The purpose of the expansion is to assess the value of exchanging health information between the two entities and private physicians who are all caring for the same veterans.

The expansion is scheduled to be gradual and none of the new sites have been selected at this time. Tim Cromwell, the VLER health program manager for the DOD/VA Interagency Progam Office, told Information Week, that the additional site would be chosen based on the maturity and success of local health information exchanges, as well as their ability to increase adoption by veterans. Another goal is to give the DOD and VA “some real clear data.”