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Results: 1 - 15 of 35
View Cathay Wagantall Profile
CPC (SK)
We were informed by Mr. Heilman, the chief informatics officer with the Canadian Armed Forces health information system, that they're working on this improvement, getting medical records to VAC. They say that when they request them, and when the individual armed forces member requests them, would it not be much faster if they just immediately filled out a form that said, “When needed, my medical records are available to VAC”? Are adjudicators and service officers able to see those records directly, or how do you get them?
Chad Wagner
View Chad Wagner Profile
Chad Wagner
2020-11-18 17:01
We don't get them until we get approval from the veteran to have access. Then we have to apply for access, and then Veterans Affairs will.... It takes about a week before we usually see them. Going back to what Ms. Vaillancourt was saying, there should be one system for all of this. Why do we have so many different systems where we have to go to get medical records over here, ask permission, come over here...? It just doesn't make sense when it could be just one system. Clear it all out. It should almost be streamlined as soon as they sign up for service, that their Veterans Affairs medical file is always working and always a cohesive unit. It doesn't make sense that it isn't.
View Cathay Wagantall Profile
CPC (SK)
I understand that there are only six adjudicators in Charlottetown right now who have that access. They have been trained. I asked how long it took and they said it was just a couple of days. I don't know who in this group would know about those adjudicators and why there are only six at this point. This medical record transfer issue has been an issue since 2016. Why are we only at six adjudicators?
Raymond McInnis
View Raymond McInnis Profile
Raymond McInnis
2020-11-18 17:02
It's actually a pilot study, and it's not a transfer of records. It's actually having Veterans Affairs link into the Canadian Forces health information system, so it's direct. Eventually, hopefully, that will be the way to go, but I will clarify one thing my colleague said—
Raymond McInnis
View Raymond McInnis Profile
Raymond McInnis
2020-11-18 17:02
—about service health records. It's not a week we're waiting; we're waiting for nine months to more than a year, in some cases, because still-serving members, of course, have to have their files transferred, and there's no one working on the bases and wings right now, because they're all working remotely.
View William Amos Profile
Lib. (QC)
View William Amos Profile
2020-11-16 16:37
Thank you, Chair and thanks to the witnesses. I will be sharing my time with Sean Casey.
I want to get into the issue of attribution. I would like to get the perspective of our witnesses today on the issue of whether or not it would be much more helpful if the Canadian Armed Forces automatically provided Veterans Affairs Canada with the medical diagnosis that supported the decision to release a member for medical reasons, and that this be done prior to the date of release. If we could explore that theme of the diagnosis, that would be helpful.
Maybe we could start off with Mr. Heilman.
Brock Heilman
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Brock Heilman
2020-11-16 16:38
Yes. I am in no way in a position to discuss an attribution prior to or after release. What I can tell you is that the moment that a diagnosis is made by a clinician in the Canadian Armed Forces, it is entered into CFHIS. Therefore, as of the moment they click on the mouse, it's in the electronic health record.
View William Amos Profile
Lib. (QC)
View William Amos Profile
2020-11-16 16:39
Are there any other witnesses who would like to comment on that particular issue?
Christopher McNeil
View Christopher McNeil Profile
Christopher McNeil
2020-11-16 16:39
I think historically there would have been a problem, not so much with the diagnosis but historically CF doctors were reluctant to give any opinions or diagnoses, particularly as they related to VAC applications. Now I have experienced, in the last year and a half, that changing. I have seen a lot more CF or CAF documents in which they are assessing people or giving a diagnosis, so I have certainly seen a greater loosening of that trend in the past year and a half to two years.
Christopher McNeil
View Christopher McNeil Profile
Christopher McNeil
2020-11-16 16:39
Veterans and particularly members currently serving are not in a position to get doctors to give them those assessments without that, so if they are being served by CAF, they should be getting their diagnosis from CAF.
View William Amos Profile
Lib. (QC)
View William Amos Profile
2020-11-16 16:40
Okay. As a follow up to that question, this will be my last question.
As was announced in 2018, has the chief of the defence staff issued a special directive for commanders to more diligently complete the report of injury, disease or illness form, the CF 98 form, which would make it easier for Veterans Affairs Canada to attribute a medical condition to military service? Is there progress on that?
Christopher McNeil
View Christopher McNeil Profile
Christopher McNeil
2020-11-16 16:40
We see a lot of CF 98s, but you have to remember that the CF 98 is often prepared from the extent of the military. It is not determinative of whether or not an injury has arisen, from the perspective of the board that made the decision, although the CF 98 adds some perspective to what happened. An accident can occur not in the context of military duty but still be attributable to military service and can be so vetted. The CF 98 is an internal document. It provides some evidence but it is not a definitive document. What is helpful is providing assessments and providing diagnoses for people who are making applications.
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