MyHealtheVet Blue Button

Title and Introduction

Empowering Veterans with Easy, Secure Access to Their Health Records

Blue Button was introduced to MyHealtheVet (MHV) to allow Veterans to securely download and share their health data—including lab results, medications, appointments, and military service info—with providers and caregivers. It was designed as a trust-building first step in the VA's broader push toward transparent digital health.

Problem Statement

Prior to implementation, Veterans lacked a simple way to view or retrieve their medical records. Blue Button was developed to address this gap, enabling Veterans to securely access their data on demand, without needing special software or complex authorization. It brought convenience, portability, and control over personal health information.

Process and Methodology

Reviewed Veteran and provider use cases
Consulted with VA clinical SMEs and policy teams
Designed wireframes and tested prototypes with Veterans and caregivers
Conducted Section 508 accessibility reviews, identifying issues with formatting, ARIA labels, and contrast
Analyzed feedback from help desk data and surveys to refine flow and output formats

Solution and Implementation

Delivered a one-click Blue Button download within MHV, supporting both text and PDF formats
Structured content by meaningful categories (e.g., Labs, Medications, Appointments, Military History)
Included preview and export confirmation steps
Ensured output usability and accessibility across platforms

Results and Impact

Over 1 million Veterans adopted Blue Button within 2 years of launch
Empowered Veterans to coordinate their care, especially in emergencies or non-VA visits
Reduced VA support calls by improving self-service functionality
Set a national precedent for patient data access adopted by other agencies and private providers

Visuals and Design

Wireframes for category selection and preview
Screenshots of Blue Button exports in PDF and text
Accessibility callouts showing responsive and compliant structure

Credits and My Role

My Role: UX & Design Lead

Led design and accessibility reviews
Created wireframes and prototypes
Consulted SMEs and applied real Veteran and provider feedback to drive design decisions
Partnered with MHV developers and Connected Care leadership

Collaborators:

MyHealtheVet Product Team
VA Office of Connected Care
Clinical SMEs and Veteran feedback panels

Call to Action

Want to build systems that hand people control of their own health data? Let's create experiences that are simple, secure, empowering, and inclusive—exactly when they matter most.