VA Introduces New Feature That Allows Veterans to Securely Access Medical Images Online

U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs  (VA)

April 30, 2018 

The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) recently released a new online feature through the My HealtheVet portal that allows Veterans to access their medical images and associated study reports online.

Called VA Medical Images and Reports, the feature allows Veterans with a premium account to view, download and share copies of their radiology studies, such as X-rays, mammograms, MRIs and CTs, from the VA Electronic Health Record (EHR).

“With VA Medical Images and Reports, patients have the option of obtaining their images and reports online, eliminating the need to visit a VA facility to acquire a copy of their information,” said VA Acting Secretary Robert Wilkie. “This feature aligns with VA Blue Button’s concept, which simplifies patient access to their personal health information by allowing them to retrieve it securely online.”

Veterans can view a list of accessible radiology studies, which are available in My HealtheVet, three calendar days after the study report has been verified. When a request for a specific study is completed, Veterans can view a lower resolution thumbnail copy of the images and the associated radiology report online, or download a zip file that contains the report and diagnostic quality images.

For studies with large files, Veterans can choose to receive an email notification when the download request is complete.

To view diagnostic quality (Digital Imaging and Communication in Medicine or DICOM) images, Veterans may install a free medical image viewer on their computer to view DICOM image files. The images and reports may be copied to a CD, DVD, USB flash drive, or any portable drive of their choice to share with providers, both outside of VA and across VA settings of care.