Department of Health and Human Services October 22, 2012 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

Blue Button for America is a collaborative Federal effort led by the Department of Health and Human Services and the Department of Veterans Affairs to ensure everyone across the country gets access to their medical records. By clicking on a Blue Button icon, patients can get their personal health information in an electronic formata service that has not been available to most people until very recently. Because of Blue Button, over 1 million Americans have already downloaded their health records from their medical providers and insurance companies, and the number is expected to increase dramatically in the near future. Being able to access your health information on demand can be lifesaving in an emergency situation, can help prevent medication errors, and can improve care coordination so everyone who is caring for you is on the same page. However, too often health information is presented in an unwieldy and unintelligible way that makes it hard for patients, their caregivers, and their physicians to use. There is an opportunity for talented designers to reshape the way health records are presented to create a better patient experience. The statutory authority for this challenge competition is Section 105 of the America COMPETES Reauthorization Act of 2010 (Pub. L. 111- 358).

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is announcing that a proposed collection of information has been submitted to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for review and clearance under the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995.