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Center to Improve Veteran Involvement in Care (CIVIC)

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Resources

Resource Sheets

The following resource sheets present help information about OpenNotes. Select the links to download and/or print the documents.

C.L.E.A.R. Strategy
Information about the C.L.E.A.R. Strategy to help enhance note writing and avoid common pitfalls.

Orienting Veterans to Reading Their Mental Health Notes
Information about orienting patients to reading their mental health notes. 

SPIKES
Information about SPIKES to support you in having difficult conversations.

Research Fact Sheet
A summary of current research on OpenNotes.

MHCC Recovery Oriented Language Guide
A guide for using recovery oriented language

 

Quick Links

Select the links below for more information about VA OpenNotes and VA Blue Button.

OpenNotes is a national initiative (not just in VA) that seeks to give patients access to the visit notes written by their doctors, nurses, or other clinicians. The OpenNotes website provides information about the initiative, including a Toolkit for both patients and clinicians.

The VA OpenNotes intranet page provides information and resources about OpenNotes for health professionals at the VA. It includes research about OpenNotes, fact sheets, and answers to clinicians' common questions.  

The VA Blue Button intranet page provides information and resources about VA Blue Button, including the types of information Veterans can download, monthly statistics on usage, and changes to VA Blue Button. 

VA Blue Button and VA OpenNotes Common Questions & Answers for VA Health Care Professionals provide answers to clinicians' frequently asked questions about VA OpenNotes and VA Blue Button, including what patients can see in VA Blue Button and how to document sensitive information.      

Resources for your Patients

The following links provide information for your patients about reading their notes through VA Blue Button.

Connected Care - Veterans provides basic information about OpenNotes at the VA, including how Veterans can access health information, what to do if they have questions, and how OpenNotes may help patients. 

My HealtheVet Home - Veterans provides step-by-step instructions for using VA Blue Button on My HealtheVet. This is a great resource for patients who have questions about how to download their notes using VA Blue Button.

The Veterans Health Library is an online library of health topics geared toward Veterans. If Veterans have questions about the terms or abbreviations contained in notes, or want to do research on their own, you can encourage them to use the Veterans Health Library.

Medline Plus is an online resource from the National Library of Medicine that offers information on health conditions, wellness issues, and treatments. This is another great option for Veterans to use if they want to research their health information. 

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