Joint Patient Tracking Application/Veterans Tracking Application: A Joint Platform for Interdepartmental Data Exchange

Abstract

Abstract : Wounded warriors from Operation's Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom move rapidly thru multiple military medical treatment facilities (MTFs) on the battlefield, in Europe, and the United States generating a significant amount of clinical data, both electronic and on paper at each point along the way. The lack of a universal inpatient electronic medical record capability in the Department of Defense (DoD) makes it difficult to share clinical information within the DoD and, limited interoperability with Department of Veterans Affairs electronic medical record system prevents much of this critical data (often on the most seriously injured service members) from ever making it to the Department of Veterans Affairs. The one constant in the complex maze of systems and applications used to document health care is the Joint Patient Tracking Application (JPTA); it's the sole universal application in place at every point along the way. JPTA is the optimal platform for real time sharing of clinical data not only within the DOD but also to the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA) thru an interface with the Veterans Tracking Application (VTA). Many Service members remain on active duty while receiving care at Veterans Health Care facilities; others make their way into VA hospitals as they make the transition from active duty to veteran status. This results in the need to share electronic health information between DoD and VA hospitals to facilitate the best possible care. There is no common platform for sharing inpatient electronic health care information between the DoD and the VA as a result, electronic medical history data is not available on many of our most severely injured service members and veterans when they arrive at VA facilities. The most advantageous strategy for expansion of data sharing between DoD and VA is thru expansion of the JPTA / VTA platform.