The primary objective of Blue Button is to give users instant access to their health records, so that patients can share it with their doctors. As on May of 2012 more than 50,000 veterans in the US had used Blue Button to download their health data. The information they downloaded included information on appointments, prescriptions and medications, laboratory results, symptoms and health history while in military service.

Though originally intended for Veterans and military retirees the Blue Button utility has been extended. As a result all US Federal health plans nowadays include the Blue Button in their health portals. As of August 2012, Blue Button had a million plus patient enrolled according to the Department of Veteran Affairs, US.

The Blue Button uses plain ASCII character set to transport data. Several software companies have developed applications to enhance user experience. Some patient controlled repositories like the Microsoft Health Vault for example accept data in Blue Button format.

Understanding Blue Button

The earliest initiative for Blue Button started in January 2010 in New York. The initiative aimed at enabling veterans and military retirees to download their medical records and share health information meaningfully within the community of veterans and military retirees. At the helm of Blue Button’s initiative are several Federal agencies, including Health and Human Services, the Department of Defense (DoD), and the Office of Veteran Affairs. Blue Button is actually a rebranding of TriCare Online Portal service of the DoD with some changes.

One of the common ways to download data for veterans is to install VA Mobile Blue Button app in their smartphones. The app is free and can be downloaded from Android Market. Apple device users can download the app from AppStore. The app size is 43K.

How to Benefit from Blue Button

The principal benefit of Blue Button include:

Timely access to patient health records – results in commencing treatment immediately
Information can be reported at Blue Button by the patient for retrieval and use at a later point – convenient for sharing it with doctors later on
Health information can be shared with the doctor treating the patient.
Health information can be shared with the doctor treating the patient.
Blue Button is simple to use and access to health information is available any time. User can enter their health records as well.
Extensive Blue Button applications are available in the market to enhance and download data. It is also possible to download data in PDF file format or text.
Information You can Download from Blue Button

Blue Button can hold extensive data and there are numerous applications that can enhance its use. Some of the important information you can download with the Blue Button are – Demographic information of the patient, emergency contact information, healthcare provider information, treatment facilities available at healthcare centers, personal medical history, allergic and reaction of the patient, past laboratory and test results, immunizations undergone…etc.

Veterans can also the Blue Button for receiving reminders about wellness, appointment, allergies and adverse reactions and laboratory test results. In addition to health information Blue Button is also used to retrieve pay details, service dates, deployment and retirement information.



About Saviance

Saviance Technologies is a global provider of enterprise technology solutions focusing on mobility, collaboration, cloud computing and software application development. They provide a host of Software products and solutions, including customized application development, mobile/web applications, iOS/iPad applications and a MS SharePoint practice. Incorporated in 1999, with more than 14 years of excellent industry track record, Saviance delivers unmatched business value to its clients through a combination of process excellence, quality services and cost effective solutions from our India Development Centre.

Saviance is a certified Minority Business Enterprise and has been awarded by INC 5000 as one of the fastest growing private companies in North America. Saviance has also been ranked among the Fast 50 Asian American Businesses in the United States by USPAACC (US Pan Asian American Chamber of Commerce) and by the Deloitte Fast 50, 2012 India as one of the top 50 leading technology companies in India. Saviance is recognized by the New York and New Jersey Minority Supplier Development Council (NMSDC) as well as by Houston and Georgia as a Minority Business Enterprise in USA and is ISO 9001:2008 and ISO/IEC 27001:2005 Certified.

With a wide geographical diversity spanning across the USA, Europe, India, Singapore and Australia, Saviance is able to serve and support its clients in multiple geographies. To learn more, please visit: www.saviance.com