How the VA Looks at Population Level Data to Analyze Outcomes

The VA isn’t perfect, but definitely is better than other health care systems I have worked in so far.  It embraces the idea of patient-centered medical home, where a primary care physician coordinates and takes responsibility for a patient’s care … the old-school definition of good medical care that has recently become popular again, especially because of its emphasis on preventive care and continuity of care.

I give much of the credit to the VA’s electronic medical record – the VistA CPRS (computerized patient record system).  I think I had more fun playing with the CPRS and its magical abilities than I did actually learning about primary care during my 5 weeks at the Bronx VA outpatient clinics.

There’s no need to repeat tests unnecessarily.  All the results of previous tests, at any VA hospital or clinic, are accessible with just a few clicks.  No need to wait for reports to be faxed or mailed from another hospital.

You can graph lab values and vital signs over months and even years to see how it has changed over time, an easy way to see exactly what effect a new medication had on the patient’s blood pressure.