Noteboom The Law Firm

Veterans Taking Issue With Blue Button Comment

February 9, 2011 - According to President Obama, downloading veterans' medical records is as simple as a point and click. Unfortunately that is not entirely true. President Obama's statement referred to accessing veteran medical records via the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Blue Button program, which was launched last October.

The VA Blue Button program gives veterans access to a portion of their medical history online, which includes prescription history through the Veterans Health Administration Electronic Health Records (VistA) system. The Blue Button program takes veterans' information from the VistA system and uploads it to the MyHealthyVet system. Access to medical information through the Blue Button program is presently limited to:

• Blood pressure;
• Weight;
• Heart rate;
• Limited test results; and
• Military and family health history.

Veterans can access information equivalent to what is generally found on a medical intake form. Not all medical information, however, is currently available for download. For instance, x-rays and doctor's notes are not available. The VA will add allergy information in March, and that will be eventually followed by veterans' lab results. Although the program has a course of action as far as what will be added to the system in the immediate future, that course can be adjusted by veterans' requests for different data.

The Blue Button program is technologically advanced, and has been lauded as such. While it may be possible in the future, veterans cannot, however, simply access and download their full medical records with a point and a click.