Resources

Newest Blue Button Enhancements in January/March 2013

Significant enhancements to the VA Blue Button include the addition of several new types of information from the VA Electronic Health Record for authenticated My HealtheVet users. Release 12.4 in March includes:

• Filenames based on time & date output
• User messages to explain business rules, such as hold periods
• VA CCD file output now includes a PDF as well as XML file format

as well as a variety of other enhancements and changes to the output files. See the sample files, below.

Release 12.3 from January 2013 includes:

• VA Demographics
• VA Problem List (active problems)
• VA Admissions and Discharges (including Discharge Summaries)
• VA Notes (Progress Notes)
• VA Laboratory Results: (adds Microbiology)
• VA Vitals and Readings
• VA Pathology Reports: (Surgical Pathology, Cytology, Electron Microscopy)
• VA Radiology Reports
• VA Electrocardiogram (EKG) Reports (list of studies)

In addition this expansion includes:

• Two My HealtheVet self-entered data classes for all Veterans now available in the VA Blue Button
  (Food Journal and Activity Journal)
• and a new tool: the VA Continuity of Care Document (VA CCD) in xml file format.

To support our industry partners we provide sample files and release notes with additional details (below).

Sample Blue Button Release ASCII & PDF Files

Blue Button 12.4 (March 2013):             ASCII Text File | Adobe PDF | VA CCD XML | VA CCD PDF | 12.4 Release Notes 

Blue Button 12.3 (January 2013):          ASCII Text File | Adobe PDF | VA CCD XML | 12.3 Release Notes 

Blue Button 12.2.1 (October 2012):       ASCII Text File |  Adobe PDF 

Blue Button 12.2 (September 2012):     ASCII Text File |  Adobe PDF 

Blue Button 12.0 (December 2011):       ASCII Text File |  Adobe PDF  

Questions about Blue Button

If you have questions about how to use Blue Button, please visit My HealtheVet's Frequently Asked Questions.

If you have questions about DoD Military Service Information available in Blue Button, please visit this Frequently Asked Questions page dedicated to Military Service Information.

More Information about VA's Blue Button

VA's Blue Button Fact Sheet  | Military Service Information Fact Sheet 

Other Resources

Blue Button Data.org 

Smart phone application from Northrop Grumman

Personal Health Record from Microsoft

Smart phone application offered by Humetrix

If you have other resources that should be included here, please contact us at VABlueButtonTeam@va.gov.