Page 51 - Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

Health Literacy, eHealth, and Communication: Putting the Consumer First: Workshop Summary

HeALtH LiteRACY, eHeALtH, AnD CoMMUniCAtion

disease-driven; it is driven instead by determinants of health. Therefore
it includes topics such as fitness, events, and spiritual concepts. Using
empirical evidence about modifying health behavior and improving
health outcomes, HHPC is attempting to use technology to engage people
in health, building that technology on empirical data about what works
and what does not.
The platform and tools have a clear fit with the goals of HHPC and
the populations with which it works. Careful thinking, testing and evalu-
ation research are still needed in order to establish best-practice models
for leveraging these emerging technologies and to boost our ability to
support health improvement in our community. In conclusion, Kukafka
quoted John Dewey, “If the living, experiencing being is an intimate par-
ticipant in the activities of the world to which it belongs, then knowledge
is a mode of participation, valuable in the degree in which it is effective.
It cannot be the view of an unconcerned spectator” (Dewey, 1926).

My HEALTHeVET

Kim nazi, F.A.C.H.e.
Management Analyst, veterans Health Administration

In response to the Institute of Medicine report, Crossing the Quality
Chasm, the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) of the Department of
Veterans Affairs (VA) began efforts to bring a consumer focus to organi-
zation-wide electronic health record development so that patients could
directly obtain the benefits of technology. The two major components of
eHealth at the VA are the electronic health record—which includes the
CPRS (computerized patient record system), BCMA, and VistA imaging,
7
6
supported by VistA (Veterans Health Information Systems and Technol-
ogy Architecture)—and the personal health record, My HealtheVet. These
components offer a number of improvements over the previous system,
including more comprehensive records, access to trusted patient educa-
tion, engagement and action, patient safety, medication reconciliation,
patient concordance, wellness reminders, decision support, communica-
tion, and patient and provider partnerships.
The development of My HealtheVet has been guided by the belief that

6 “Bar Code Medication Administration (BCMA) is a point-of-care software solution that
addresses the serious issue of inpatient medication errors by electronically validating and
documenting medications for inpatients. It ensures that the patient receives the correct
medication in the correct dose, at the correct time, and visually alerts staff when the proper
parameters are not met” (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2008a).
7 The VistA Imaging system makes the complete multimedia patient record available to
clinicians and patients (Department of Veterans Affairs, 2008b).

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