Electronic Medical Records System May Help Disabled Oregonians
Anyone applying for social security disability benefits knows that the process is a long road. In Oregon, the first step is to provide medical information to the Oregon Department of Disability Determination services, also known as DDS. DDS then sends out requests for medical records. Sometimes that get the records, and sometimes they do not. This can often cause a delay, or even worse a denial for lack of information.
In effort to streamline the process, Social Security will be participating in an electronic medical records system called the Health Information Exchange (HIE). This system claims to provide a seamless connection between hospitals, doctors, and other entities. Social Security will be the first government agency to use the system, beginning in 2009. Of course, the disabled worker must first consent to use of the electronic system.
Most of what I have read about the new system was published by the Social Security Administration and the vendor providing the technical support, so the predictions are quite optimistic. Will it make a difference? Obviously, it's too early to tell, but with the way things are with disability determinations, any change is welcome.
