My VA Images adds text message notifications

The My VA Images app is bridging the gap between providers and Veterans with its new text message notification feature that will improve communication between Veterans and their VA providers and enable Veterans to easily stay up to date with their health care.

This new My VA Images feature-SMS Text Notification-sends text messages to willing Veterans when it's time to submit a photo or video for review. Veterans will also receive a text message when their provider's comments to them are available to read in My VA Images.

The My VA Images app is particularly useful for Veterans being treated for conditions with visible symptoms. For example, a Veteran receiving treatment for a dermatological condition can send an image of the affected area to their provider and receive timely feedback directly to their cellphone.

"This new text messaging notification system will allow Veterans to be much more aware of when My VA Images is available to them and when providers' messages back to them are ready to be read," said Dr. Dennis Oh, assistant chief of Dermatology at San Francisco VA and TeleDermatology in VA's Office of Connected Care.

No notification goes unseen

In the past, My VA Images would send notifications only to the Veteran's email address. Now, Veterans can consent to receive text message notifications directly to their cellphone, making the process of care convenient and direct.

It is not uncommon for critical health care messages to go unseen when they are sent exclusively to a patient's email. Oh said many of his patients would not check their emails regularly or they would lose critical My VA Images alert notifications in their inboxes.

He described the new feature as a way for Veterans to receive their care "much more in the moment," making sure no notification goes unseen. Once a Veteran receives the notification, all they need to do is to select the link to My VA Images to access their health care services.

Benefits for Veterans

For many Veterans, My VA Images is a critical part of their care because it reduces the burden of visiting the closest VA clinic. Some Veterans, especially those with mobility issues, have even used My VA Images to replace recurring follow-up appointments altogether.

Veterans use the app only when a provider has requested a photo or video for review. However, the app also gives Veterans the power to address the issues that are most important to them.

"The app actually asks Veterans to state in their own words what is bothering them and what they would like out of the encounter. They actually have the opportunity to not only focus on the initial problem, but if they think of something else, they can submit that, too," Oh added.

Veterans who have begun receiving the text messages have expressed increased satisfaction with their care. VA providers have reported that the rate of timely submissions from Veterans has increased significantly since the launch of the feature.

To learn more about My VA Images' new text message notification feature, visit the My VA Images app page.

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