Benefits of Being a Member of the Blue Button Pledge Program
The Blue Button Pledge was created to catalyze and support organizations that enable individuals to have access to and use their health information to be empowered partners in their health and health care. Members of the Blue Button Pledge Community benefit from participation in activities including in person meetings and webinars that provide networking, updates from the federal government, and opportunities to share and learn best practices from and with peers and potential partners.
A wide variety of organizations participate in the Pledge Program, including "Data Holders" and "Non Data Holders," who make pledges ranging from directly providing electronic consumer access to health data, to developing tools that make it useful, to promoting a public shift in awareness of and attitudes about consumer engagement in health.
Taking the pledge is voluntary, and does not represent any endorsement by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services or any other part of the Federal government.
I've Pledged, Now What?
Once you've signed up, here are some things you can do to fulfill your pledge:
For Data Holders
Implement Blue Button
Make personal health information, either complete health record and/or a subset such as a visit summary, available to individuals and their caregivers in a secure, timely, and usable manner allowing them to: View, download, and transmit their health data from a secure portal in a format that is both machine and human readable (requirement for Stage 2 Meaningful Use) to a destination of their choice (for example, via Direct, Microsoft HealthVault, or similar protocols)
Educate Your Patients/Spread the Word
Empower your staff to play a leadership role in educating and encouraging individuals to access and use their personal health information to meet their personal health goals or care for their family.
Use the Logo and Phrase
Show your patients or members that you offer Blue Button by displaying the Blue Button logo. Guidelines for usage of the Blue Button logo can be found here.
For Non-Data Holders
There are many ways non-data holders can support Blue Button. Here are just a few ideas:
- Engage your employees, members, or constituents in a dialogue about health information technology and the importance and value of consumer access to and use of electronic health information, including understanding how to obtain access to this information, what type of information to request, and what it can be used for, and the benefits of being health information-engaged.
- Draft an organization-wide message from your CEO or Executive Director on the Blue Button initiative and pledge program.
- Participate in a social media campaign about consumer access to health information.
- Engage employees/members/the public in designing innovative ways to use electronic health information to improve health and health care.
- Convene public discussions bringing together providers, consumer groups, and patients/caregivers to discuss ways to use electronic health information to achieve community health goals.
- As employers, ask the health plans you directly contract with to take the Blue Button Pledge for Data Holders.
- As product developers, develop tools or features that support consumer engagement in overall health and health care using electronic health information.