Government to digitize veterans' health records.

• Position: HEALTH RECORDS - Brief article

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President Barack Obama has announced plans for a new, efficient electronic recordkeeping system to help erase the current six-month backlog in disability claims at the Veterans Affairs (VA) Department and to streamline the exchange of information between the Pentagon and the VA.

The plan calls for a joint electronic record to track service members during and after their military careers. The goal is to reduce some of the red tape that currently hinders veterans from receiving timely benefits.

Obama said Defense Secretary Robert Gates and VA Secretary Eric Shinseki have taken the first steps toward creating a unified system for veteran health records. The electronic recordkeeping system will handle military service members' administrative and medical records from the day they enter service and ensure those files are transferred automatically to the VA...