Pros: Very thorough health resource for US Veterans, active duty soldiers, their dependents and caregivers. Healthy living information, disease resources, VA benefits information and more are available for use. Members who have verified their identity in person through IPA can utilize additional features through VA health care providers such as the VA Blue Button.

Cons: This service is only for Veterans, active duty soldiers, their families and caregivers. Individuals outside of these parameters may not access the site. Users cannot preview the site tools prior to enrollment.

The Bottomline: My HealtheVet is a secure online website for Veterans to research, organize, store, track, and maintain healthcare information. Resources for healthy living, events, graphing, and more are all easily accessed by members.

Editor’s Rating:

Reviewed on April 1, 2011

Summary:
My HealtheVet is a free, secure, online personal health record tool for Veterans to use in making informed choices regarding medical care. Information is available about various conditions and treatments. Tools for monitoring conditions and tracking changes in health are also provided. The new Blue Button Initiative makes all of this even easier.



Features:
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Personal Information
Veterans can enter personal profile information including emergency contact resources after registering for a free account. It is highly recommended that each Veteran attend a clinic to complete the IPA (In Person Authentication) process. It is a security measure to verify the identity of each HealtheVet member.

Pharmacy
Members are able to access information about their medications and order refills quickly and conveniently online.

Research Health
Members have access to an online library of topics relevant to their health and well-being. Healthy Eating, Exercise, and Sleep areas assist members in learning more about meeting basic needs. Spirituality, Smoking Cessation, Emergency Preparedness, and Caregiver Assistance are all addressed in this area of the site.

Also in the Research Health area are tabs for: Diseases and Conditions, Mental Health, and a Medical Library.

Get Care and Track Health
The HealtheVet program accompanied by the Blue Button allows a very complete PHR for each person. Users enter personal information and blood sugar readings, weight, blood pressure, test results, health history, family history, blood pressures and any other self-information. The VA electronic files are added, including information from doctors and providers. This provides Veterans with the most complete PHR available today… for free.

Wellness Reminders
Veterans can get wellness reminders of upcoming appointments and, in some cases, secure messaging with their healthcare providers.

Blue Button
The Blue Button will allow users to track all medical data, selected medical data, a summary of claims, and a basic PHR with all self-entered information. This is all online and secure.