Use of the My HealtheVet for Health Information Sharing
Use of the My HealtheVet for Health Information Sharing
This study aims to conduct a pilot of an intervention to improve care coordination between VA
 and non-VA providers using the Department of Veteran's Affairs' (VA) personal health record,
 My HealtheVet (MHV). Participants will be randomized to receive either training on 1) how to
 use My HealtheVet to share VA health information or 2) training on how to how to search the
 Internet for health information and decide which Internet sites have good quality
 information. The investigators predict that Veterans who receive the My HealtheVet training
 will have fewer medication errors and duplication of services between the VA and outside
 providers.
This study aims to conduct a pilot of an intervention to improve care coordination between VA
 and non-VA providers using the Department of Veteran's Affairs' (VA) personal health record,
 My HealtheVet (MHV). Background: The Blue Button feature of My HealtheVet allows Veterans to
 print out a comprehensive summary of their health that can be shared with non-VA providers.
 Dual use is common and has been associated with negative health outcomes including higher
 mortality. Preliminary data collected by the principal investigator in collaboration with the
 My HealtheVet Performance Evaluation workgroup shows that few Veterans enrolled in My
 HealtheVet use it to inform either VA or non-VA providers of their care. To remedy this, the
 principal investigator has developed an online video and companion paper-based training. This
 training will teach Veterans how to use the Blue Button feature and why it is important to
 share the print out with their non-VA provider. Methods: To participate, Veterans must have
 an upcoming non-VA provider appointment, be prescribed 5 or more medications, and be
 registered on My HealtheVet with a premium account. Participants will be randomized to
 receive either training on how to use the Blue Button or training on how to search for health
 information on the Internet and if that information is good quality. Veterans in both arms
 will receive training materials and phone support. After the non-VA provider visit, both the
 Veteran and the provider will be asked to indicate what occurred during the visit, including
 whether or not the Veteran gave the provider the Blue Button print out. Both Veterans and
 providers will also be asked to complete a 15-minute qualitative interview about their
 experience during the visit. Medical records of the non-VA provider visit will be obtained.
 Outcomes: The main outcome for the study is whether the patient provided the non-VA provider
 a copy of his or her health information printed from My HealtheVet. In addition, comparison
 between the VA and non-VA provider records will be conducted to test whether Veterans who
 completed the training had 1) better medication reconciliation between the VA and the non-VA
 provider and 2) fewer instances of therapeutic or laboratory duplication. The results of this
 pilot will be used to inform a larger randomized controlled trial of the training
 intervention.
Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Upcoming Non-VA provider appointment

 -  Take 5 or more prescribed medications

 -  Have or obtain a My HealtheVet premium account

 -  Access to computer, printer, & Internet to complete study protocol

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  No non-VA provider or upcoming appointment

 -  Less than 5 medications

 -  No premium MHV account