Track and Share Your Health Data
Wherever you are on your health journey, you can stay on track by regularly monitoring key health data — such as blood pressure, heart rate, weight, and sleep. You can track and record this health data using pen and paper or with technologies such as smart devices and apps.
Knowing your health data can help you and your VA providers make the best decisions for your care. By reviewing health data that you choose to share, your VA provider can:
- See trends in your day-to-day health and well-being.
- Recognize symptoms or potential health problems before they become more serious.
- Make better-informed recommendations and health care decisions.
This type of health data is known as patient-generated health data, or PGHD. PGHD includes health information that you collect and record in your daily life, outside of a doctor’s office or other clinical setting.
Sharing PGHD With Your VA Care Team
PGHD is the health data you track on a regular basis. And now you have the option to share your PGHD electronically with your VA care team at any time — without waiting for your next health care appointment. Talk with your VA care team about what PGHD you should share and how often they will view it.
Below are some ways that you can track and share your PGHD. Be sure to share private health information through only the secure channels listed below.
My HealtheVet Shared Vitals
The Shared Vitals feature lets you record and share your vitals for your VA provider to view. Vital signs that you record in My HealtheVet are stored in VA's secure patient-generated health database.
VA Mobile Apps
Share My Health Data
The VA Share My Health Data app enables Veterans to share PGHD from wearable devices, such as Fitbits and Apple Watches, or Bluetooth devices, including glucose or blood pressure monitors. You can use the app to view your health data, see charts and graphs of your data over time, and share PGHD with your VA care team if you choose to.
Annie App for Veterans
Annie sends automated text messages to help Veterans focus on their self-care. Using Annie, you can play an active role in your care by sharing PGHD, such as weight or blood pressure, via text message or the Annie app.
My VA Images
The My VA Images app allows you to send photos or videos that your provider has requested you share. This helps them monitor health conditions, such as a skin condition or wound.
Visit the My VA Images app page on the VA App Store
Who Can Review Your PGHD?
The PGHD you choose to share is stored on a secure, encrypted VA database. It is protected with the same high privacy and security standards as the rest of your VA electronic health information.
Sharing PGHD electronically with VA is not intended for emergencies. If your data reading is abnormal and you believe you are experiencing a medical emergency, call 911.
You can choose whether to share PGHD and what to share. And only your VA provider and members of your VA care team can view your PGHD. Talk to your provider to make a plan for your PGHD:
- Discuss what data you can share.
- Set expectations for when your provider will view your data.
- Notify your provider when you share data.
Your provider can add key data points and trends to your VA health records.
Related Resources
VA Staff Members: Learn more about using PGHD in clinical care on the Connected Care Academy PGHD Community page.