IBM unveils e-health records exchange system for US SSA

To speed up the process of granting disability benefits for citizens

IBM has unveiled its first electronic health records exchange system for the US Social Security Administration to help speed the process of granting disability benefits for citizens.

IBM claims that through the use of new software and services, the Social Security Administration (SSA) saved the amount of time to process requests for medical records needed to evaluate disability benefits from months to minutes.

The project, part of the US Department of Health and Human Services's Nationwide Health Information Network Cooperative, represents the first health information exchange between a regional health information organization and a US federal agency, said IBM. The new system uses IBM's health information provider system to not only reduce processing times, but to also improve claims accuracy and reduce costs, added IBM.

It is reported that the SSA uses individual medical records to determine almost three million disability claims each year. To make those decisions, the agency relies on doctors, hospitals, and other health professionals to provide medical information about patients. Through the migration from paper to electronic transmissions based on the patient's authorization, the agency is able to reduce the time spent waiting for medical records and improve the service for those it serves, according to IBM.

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