iPhone News: US Veterans Can Now Access Immunizations, Medications And More Using Device

Apple and the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs said U.S. veterans who use an iPhone can now check their health records across a variety of providers.

Veterans across the U.S. and some surrounding territories including Cuba, Guam, Philippines, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands can now access the Health Records via the Health app on their iPhones.

This feature, which is available to all veterans who receive care from the Veterans Health Administration, allows them to get a better, more complete picture of their health, including information coming from various providers such as John Hopkins and University of California San Diego.

As per Jeff Williams, Apple’s chief operating officer, “Helping veterans gain a better understanding of their health is our chance to show our gratitude for their service,” said in a press release.

Veterans who sign into their provider's patient portals in the Health app will be able to get a quick view of their health records, all of it gathered in one place. The Health app will show lab results, immunizations, medications, and so much more. The information includes respective dates and the provider where the immunization, medication or lab result was taken.

The Veterans Affairs (VA) is the largest medical system in the country, and has decided to work with Apple to help provide veterans with the health information they need, whenever they need it. The VA serves more than nine million veterans across more than 1,200 facilities, which now includes Allscripts, John Hopkins, Quest Diagnostics and University of California San Diego.

The VA is also joined by hundreds of other health care provider organizations, laboratory networks and electronic health vendors. Each veteran who uses an iPhone can access his health records from these providers via the Health app.

“By working with the VA to offer Health Records on iPhone, we hope to help those who served have greater peace of mind that their health care is in good hands,” Williams said.

Apple said that despite the availability of health information via the Health app, it is committed to making sure each customer's information, including medical data, is kept private. All Health Records data is encrypted, and users can only access them using the respective owner's passcode, Touch ID or Face ID.