Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Computer software glitches have plagued patient care at Veterans Affairs health centers around the country, sometimes delaying treatments or resulting in incorrect drug doses.

Internal documents obtained by The Associated Press under the Freedom of Information Act show the glitches involved faulty displays of patients' electronic health records.

The documents also show the glitches were not disclosed to patients by the VA, even though they sometimes involved prolonged infusions of drugs. Excessive doses of some drugs can be life-threatening. The problems began in August and lingered until last month.

There is no evidence that any patient was harmed but the issue is more pressing as the federal government begins promoting universal use of electronic medical records to help avert mistakes.

Health care experts say the VA's problems illustrate the need for close monitoring.