On Wednesday, Kaiser Permanente and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs are scheduled to launch a pilot program linking the electronic health records of patients who receive care at both facilities in San Diego County, the San Diego Union-Tribune reports.
The partnership will mark the first time a federal agency has linked its EHR system with a private medical organization.
Officials said they expect the U.S. Department of Defense to join the program in the coming months. They added that they plan to invite additional health care providers to participate in the program over time.
In its first stages, the pilot program will allow health care providers at Kaiser and VA facilities to electronically access records for about 1,000 patients. The records will include data on several factors, such as:
- Allergies;
- Medical conditions;
- Medication histories; and
- Personal identification information.
Officials said they plan to eventually expand the project to include:
- Laboratory test results;
- Physician examination notes; and
- Radiology imaging tests.
Officials did not provide a cost estimate for the project (Darcé,
San Diego Union-Tribune, 1/6).