Veterans Can Now Access Information Through Health Records on iPhone
p>In honor of Veterans Month this November, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is rolling out nationwide access for Veterans to their VA health data, alongside their health records from other health care providers in one place, in the Health Records section of the Health app for iPhone.
Now, patients will be able to see their medical information from various participating institutions, including VA, organized into one view – covering allergies, conditions, immunizations, lab results, medications, procedures and vitals – and will receive notifications when their data is updated.
“We have delivered Veterans an innovative new way to easily and securely access their health information,” said VA Secretary Robert Wilkie. “Veterans deserve access to their health data at any time and in one place, and with Health Records on the Health app, VA has pushed the Veterans experience forward.”
This capability was developed through VA’s Veterans Health Application Programming Interface (Veterans Health API), first revealed in February, and has topped 2,000 users. The Veterans Health API allows private sector organizations to create and deploy innovative digital applications that help Veterans access their health records in new ways. Health Records data is encrypted and protected with the user’s iPhone passcode, Touch ID, or Face ID.
Beyond this effort with Apple, VA plans to partner with other organizations to bring similar capabilities to other mobile platforms.