#Middlebury #Veterans
The Department of Veterans Affairs is adding more features to Blue Button, the program veterans can use to access their health information from multiple sources on cellphone and web apps. But the greatest benefit, I believe, is the Health API, which allows veterans to access, download and even update their own medical records.
If something is incorrect in your records, you’ll know it. If something is missing, you’ll spot that omission. So far, over 2 million veterans have downloaded 32 million of their health files.
With Blue Button, if you’re signed up for My HealtheVet, you can select a text file or .PDF that you can read, print or save on a computer. You can choose a date range and the kind of information you want from your VA health records. If you have the premium My HealtheVet, you can enter information and data into the record, such as your medical conditions and medical history, allergies and adverse reactions, medications, family health, weight and blood pressure, and your personal goals.
Data present from the health record will include notes after January 2013, pathology reports, radiology reports, vitals, wellness reminders, allergies and immunizations, as well as your current and past two years of appointments. Data from the Department of Defense will include your military service information.
To learn more about Blue Button, go online to www.va.gov/bluebutton. To see how comprehensive this is, scroll to near the bottom and select either the text or PDF sample to view.
Blue Button is part of the whole VA API system. This includes Benefits API (track and receive notifications about your claims), Facilities API (get locations, hours, wait times at your facility) and now the Health API. To learn more about what these do, go online to developer.va.gov.
© 2018 King Features Synd. Inc.
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