VA Modernizes Healthcare Delivery by Empowering Patients’ Control of Data

TL/DR –

The Department of Veterans Affairs has successfully migrated all data from its original records system, VISTA, into its new electronic health record (EHR). This modernized system, which essentially places control of the data in the hands of the individual veteran, has already seen over four million users submit almost 64 million download requests. The new EHR system will also allow for the integration of artificial intelligence into healthcare delivery, which could lead to AI-assisted diagnoses, predictive analytics for at-risk behaviors, and improved scheduling for virtual health appointments.

VA Modernizes Healthcare: Patients Control Their Data

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has successfully migrated all data from its original system, VISTA, to its new electronic health record (EHR). This feat was confirmed by Neil Evans, acting Program Executive Director for electronic health record modernization at VA.

The new EHR, referred to as the Joint Longitudinal Viewer (JLV), provides an integrated view of patient data from VA, Department of Defense (DoD), and commercial healthcare settings. The JLV connects VA with over 104,000 non-VA provider sites and 90% of U.S. hospitals, facilitating the exchange of around 350 million documents each month with community care providers.

The EHR will serve as a single point of access for all healthcare providers caring for a veteran, fostering innovation and improving overall patient-provider engagement.

The Power of Patient-owned Data

Driving the VA’s healthcare modernization initiatives is the concept of patient-owned data. Introduced in 2010, the Blue Button Initiative – a human-centered design effort by the VA – allows veterans to access, download, and view their own health records. So far, over four million users have submitted 63.9 million download requests through this platform.

Convenience and increased patient engagement are two significant benefits of this data ownership model, as expressed by Evans on The Federal Drive with Tom Temin.

With access to vast data, VA is exploring opportunities to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into healthcare delivery. AI can assist with diagnosis, identify at-risk behaviors, facilitate easy scheduling for virtual health appointments, and predict patient care outcomes. The My HealtheVet portal is designed with these patient-centric goals in mind.

“Veterans utilize VA services for more than just healthcare. They engage with VA as a veteran regarding all the services we provide, not just their health information,” Evans noted.

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