The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has announced that its Blue Button initiative, which allows VA patients to view and download their personal health information into a single, portable file, has reached one million patients.
“Since President Obama announced the availability of Blue Button two years ago, VA has worked tirelessly with our sister agencies to make online access to personal health records convenient, reliable, and safe. I am very pleased with our progress,” Secretary of Veterans Affairs Eric K. Shinseki said in a statement.
The VA Blue Button PHR information includes prescription history, past appointments and medical history details, wellness reminders, and emergency contact information. The web-based tool is available anywhere, any time. The VA says its security measures are identical to those employed by retail websites that accept credit cards.
“VA believes that patients are hungry for their health information,” Peter Levin, VA’s chief technology officer, said in a statement. “The simplicity of Blue Button makes it easy for other public agencies and Federal Employee Health Program carriers to participate. Getting to one million registered users so quickly is a great validation for our team.”
