Veterans Now Have Access to Health Records Through Apple mHealth App

Millions of veterans across the US now have mHealth access to their medical records through an Apple device.

The US Department of Veterans Affairs has completed its nationwide effort to enable access through the Health Records portal of Apple’s mHealth app, which was launched in 2018. More than 400 hospitals and health systems, laboratory networks and EHR providers now support the platform.

The project, unveiled in February at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society’s (HIMSS) annual conference and exhibition, was completed through the VA’s application programming interface. The API is designed to accommodate the Blue Button 2.0 framework and leverages the Fast Healthcare Interoperability Resources (FHIR) standard developed by HL7 to enable data sharing.

“We have delivered Veterans an innovative new way to easily and securely access their health information,” VA Secretary Robert Wilkie said in a press release. “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.”

“Helping veterans gain a better understanding of their health is our chance to show our gratitude for their service,” added Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, in a separate release. “By working with the VA to offer Health Records on iPhone, we hope to help those who served have greater peace of mind that their health care is in good hands.”

According to Apple, veterans can now sign into the patient portal in the Health app and access all of their health records, including medications, immunizations and lab results. The app continually updates those records.

The announcement is the latest in string of programs developed by the VA over the past couple years to improve access to care for veterans, especially those in remote areas of the country or who can’t or don’t want to visit the nearest VA center.

Just three months ago, the VA unveiled the new Launchpad for Veterans app, designed to give veterans one connected health portal through which to access all of their resources.

Earlier this year, Wilkie submitted a budget request of more than $1 billion to expand that telehealth network, which saw more than 2.3 million encounters and 1 million video visits in 2017 but still accounts for just a small percentage of all veteran healthcare encounters.

Originally posted in mHealthIntelligence by Eric Wicklund on November 6th, 2019.