The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) began a multi-year effort to implement the new federal electronic health record (EHR) across the nation. The federal EHR will ultimately simplify the experience for Veterans and their health care teams, enhance standardization across VA and improve interoperability between VA, federal partners and the rest of the U.S. health care system. The federal EHR equips VA staff with new and innovative data analytics and Veteran care management tools that will provide them deeper insights into Veteran health issues—improving clinical decisions and health care outcomes for Veterans as individuals and as a patient population overall.

With VA’s new EHR system, Veterans will:

  • No longer need to keep up with printed health records, repeat tests or provide basic info, such as drug allergies, with each provider.

  •  Have potential health risks tracked and identified earlier.

  • Receive preventive care with treatments based on where and when they served.

  •  Benefit from improved strategies to address suicide risk and post-traumatic stress disorder.

  • Be protected from opioid abuse, with prescribers using a national prescription drug monitoring report to inform medication decisions.