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KNOW WHERE I THINK IS IN A WAY THAT IS MORE CLEAR AND REAL
TO US THAN THE AMAZING WORK THAT THE VETERAN'S
ADMINISTRATION HAS DONE ON THE BLUE BUTTON.
SO, IF I MAY, I'D LIKE TO INTRODUCE YOU TO A VERY SPECIAL
PERSON, PETER LEVIN WHO IS THE CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER FOR
THE VA -- PETER LEVIN.
HE WAS A COLLEGE PROFESSOR, A RESEARCH DEAN AND YOU'LL SEE A
LITTLE BIT OF THAT IN HIS TALKING AND WHAT HE BRINGS.
BUT HE THEN WENT INTO THE START-UP WORLD, ENTREPRENEUR IN
HIS OWN RIGHT AND BROUGHT BOTH THAT PASSION FOR TEACHING, AS
WELL AS THAT ZEAL TO MAKE STUFF HAPPEN IN THE REAL WORLD TO THE
GOVERNMENT AND WE ARE VERY GRATEFUL TO HIM.
PETER LEVIN. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> I THINK WE ARE WAITING FOR A PICTURE THE SLIDES.IT'S AN IMPORTANT SLIDE.
ABOUT TWO YEARS AGO, AT A MEETING AT THE MARKLE FOUNDATION WHICH
WE'LL TALK ABOUT IN A SECOND, WE CAME UP WITH AN IDEA, CRAZY
IDEA. A LOT OF PEOPLE THOUGHT IT WAS
A STUPID IDEA, TO PROVIDE AN ALTERNATIVE CHANNEL TO PERSONAL
HEALTH CARE. AND IT WAS SORT OF A WHY NOT
KIND OF QUESTION? WHY CAN'T WE DO THIS?
WHY SHOULDN'T WE DO THIS? AND THERE WOULD BE A BLUE
BUTTON TODAY, WE'D HAVE SOME KIND OF MEETING TODAY, BUT I
WANT YOU TO KNOW THAT NOBODY WOULD KNOW ABOUT IT.
YOU PROBABLY WOULD HAVE FOUND AN ALTERNATIVE WAY, IT WOULD HAVE
TAKEN LONGER, IT WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN INTERESTING, AND A LOT FEWER POPLE WOULD HAVE
TRIED IT. WHAT WE WOULD HAVE DONE IS
GIVEN A FEW PEOPLE ACCESS TO THEIR PERSONAL HEALTH
INFORMATION AND FRANKLY, THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN SORT OF THE
DETRITICIS OF YET ANOTHER GOVERNMENT'S PILOT, YET ANOTHER
INITIATIVE WITH A BUNCH OF DO GOODERS AND NO BUDGET.
THAT'S WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED.
MY VERY CLOSE FRIEND AND COLLEAGUE, A GUY NAMED
MIKE O'NEIL, WHO WORKS WITH ME AND JONAH ZAWINSKI AT THE VA, THREE OF US
AND A FEW OTHERS, THERESA HANCOCK, IT'S A LONG LIST OF NAMES WHO KINDA
GUIDE THAT PROGRAM, TOLD ME MANY YEARS AGO. I USED TO WORK FOR HIM
HE USED TO BE MY BOSS. HE SAID GOOD IDEAS ARE A
DIME A DOZEN AND THE ONLY THING THAT REALLY MATTERS IS
EXECUTION. AND HE GOT THAT RIGHT.
WHAT YOU MAY NOT KNOW THAT IN GOVERNMENT, IT'S EVEN HARDER TO
EXECUTE. YOU HAVE NATURAL RISK AVERSION.
HAVE YOU AN EXTRAORDINARILY SLOW CONSENSUS PROCESS.
AND FRANKLY, THERE ARE A LOT OF LES ALTRUISTIC REASONS THAN
CONSENSUS AND RISK AVERSION. BUT YOU GET PEOPLE LIKE ANISE CHOPRA,
LIKE TODD PARK, LIKE FARZAD MOSTASHARI WHO RECRUIT YOU IN
AND ENERGIZE YOU AND THE MOST IMPORTANT THING THAT THEY CAN DO FOR
YOU IS GIVE YOU AIR COVER. THEY TELL YOU THEY GOT YOUR
BACK BECAUSE YOU'RE GOING TO MAKE MISTAKES.
IF YOU BRING IN THIS ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEURIAL PERSPECTIVE
INTO GOVERNMENT, INEVITABLY, YOU'RE GOING TO TIP OVER
SOMEBODY'S RICE BOWL AND THERE WILL BE A LOT OF NASTY PHONE
CALLS AND A FEW E-MAILS THAT PEOPLE WISHED THEY DIDN'T WRITE.
AND THE BEST THING THAT THAT TROICA CAN DO FOR A GUY LIKE ME AND NOW BRIAN WHO'S
HERE WITH US TODAY, IS TO MAKE SURE THEY KNOW THAT AND THAT
THEY'LL TAKE CARE OF YOU WHEN IT HAPPENS.
THERE IS JUST SO MUCH WE DON'T KNOW ABOUT THIS NEW ADVENTURE
THAT WE ARE ON. THERE IS SO MUCH WE HAVE YET TO
EXPLORE. WE HAVE THIS IDEA THAT WE ARE
TURNING BLUE BUTTON FROM A NOUN TO A VERB.
BUT THERE IS JUST SO MUCH MORE WE NEED TO DO AND WE NEED TO DO
THIS TOGETHER. WE NEED TO TALK MORE TO EACH
OTHER. WE NEED TO TALK A LOT ABOUT THE
PROBLEMS THAT WE'RE FACING, THE THINGS THAT WE NEED TO
ACCOMPLISH THE BUREAUCRATIC OBSTACLES THAT ARE IN OUR WAY
AND OTHER OBSTACLES THAT HOLD US BACK.
BUT THIS, I KNOW AND THIS I WANT TO SAY LOUD TO YOU TODAY.
WE WOULD NOT HAVE BLUE BUTTON WITHOUT JIM SPEROS WHO WE JUST
LOST LAST THURSDAY. JIM, IF YOU'RE HERE FROM THE
PRIVATE SECTOR, MANY OF YOU KNOW THIS, SOME OF YOU DON'T,
YOU'RE HERE BECAUSE OF JIM SPEROS. HE SET UP THE LEGAL FRAMEWORK
FOR BLUE BUTTON, HE SET UP THE GOVERNANCE FOR BLUE BUTTON.
THERE ARE ONE MILLION PEOPLE ON THAT PLATFORM TODAY.
THAT'S JIM SPEROS. HE DID THAT.WHAT JIM SPEROS BROUGHT TO
BLUE BUTTON IS ITS SUCCESS AND SO, IT'S AN
EMOTIONAL TIME FOR THOSE OF US WHO WORK CLOSELY WITH HIM.
I'D ASK FOR A FEW SECONDS FOR YOU TO THINK ABOUT HOW WE CAN
TAKE HIS GOOD WORK AND HOW WE CAN THANK HIM IN OUR OWN WAY
AND MOVE FORWARD.THANKS
FOR ALLOWING ME THAT. THANK YOU FARZAD, LYGEIA, AND CLAUDIA
>> THE IDEA FOR BLUE BUTTON I'VE ALREADY MENTIONED WAS
CONCEIVED IN A MEETING IN JANUARY IN NEW YORK CITY AT THE MARCO
CONNECTING FOR HEALTH WORK GROUP.
I WANT TO THANK MARCO PERSONALLY FOR THEIR CONVENING
POWER. I WANT TO THANK THEM FOR THEIR
FORESIGHT TO CREATE THE SPACE FOR THAT DIALOGUE AND I WANT TO
THANK THEM FOR THEIR LEADERSHIP IN HOLDING THE FOLKS THAT I
MENTIONED AND MANY OTHERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR DELIVERING
THIS. I THINK JILL SHULMAN IS IN THE
AUDIENCE. JILL, IF YOU COULD STAND UP.
[ APPLAUSE ] THANK YOU JILL.
AND SO THEY PROVIDED THIS VENUE WHERE PUBLIC SECTOR FOLKS AND
PRIVATE SECTOR FOLKS COULD SPEAK FREELY TO ONE ANOTHER
AND CREATE THIS EXTRAORDINARILY POWERFUL MUCH MORE THAN WE REALIZED EXTRAORDINARY
SIMPLE IDEA OF A NAME THAT TODAY IS SORT OF
ATTACHED, RIGHT? THIS THING CALLED BLUE BUTTON WHAT IS BLUE BUTTON?
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? AND TO WORK COLLABORATIVELY
WITH US TO DEVELOP THE DETAILED POLICIES AND THE GOVERNANCE
STRUCTURE AND THE PERFORMANCE-BASED METRICS THAT
ALLOW US TO KNOW THAT WE ARE ON TO SOMETHING THAT ALLOWS FARZAD
WHO'S TAKING OVER THE BLUE BUTTON NOW TO, CREATE A NATIONAL PROGRAM,
CHANGING THIS THING FROM THE ASCII FILE THAT VA CAME UP
WITH A YEAR AND A HALF AGO ADOPTED SO SUCCESSFULLY BY TWO OF OUR AGENCY
PARTNERS AND NOW I WANT TO SAY A DOZEN PRIVATE SECTOR
COMPANIES THAT MADE THEIR BLUE BUTTON AVAILABLE TO THEIR
PATIENTS, NOW WE ARE GOING TO BLOW IT OUT.
SO THANK YOU FARZAD FOR THAT. AND I BELIEVE WE HAVE A VIDEO
THAT WE WANT TO SHOW YOU. >> MY NAME IS RANDY WATSON. I WAS BORN
IN SOUTH GATE CALIFORNIA. I SERVED IN THE ARMY FOR EIGHT
YEARS. IN , I HAD TO HAVE
EMERGENCY BY PASS HEART SURGERY. >> MY NAME IS MICHELLE STRAW.
I WAS IN THE UNITED STATES ARMY.
I UNFORTUNATELY CAME DOWN WITH GYNECOLOGICAL CONDITIONS WHICH
WERE VERY SERIOUS. >> I'M CRAIG LUIGART, AND I'M A NAVY
VETERAN. I CONTRACTED A VERY RARE
DISEASE CALLED PRIMARY LATERAL SCLEROSIS. >> I HAVE BEEN IN THE HOSPITAL
NUMEROUS TIMES. I HAVE HAD EIGHT HEART ATTACKS.
>> IT'S BEEN HARD TO GET ACCESS TO MY PRIVATE MEDICAL RECORDS.
>> I WAS SURPRISED AT WHAT MY MEDICAL RECORD LOOKED LIKE WHEN
IT WAS PRINTED OUT. I GOT TWO SUITCASES FULL OF PAPER
RECORDS. I COULDN'T BRING BACK ANY OF MY OWN PERSONAL STUFF OR CLOTHES
BECAUSE I HAD TO BRING BY MY MEDICAL RECORDS.
I ACTUALLY HAD TO MAKE PAPER COPIES OF MY LAB TESTS AND CARRY THEM BETWEEN
THE FOUR NEUROLOGISTS' OFFICES. FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER, VETERAN WILL BE ABLE
TO GO TO THE VA WEBSITE, CLICK A SIMPLE BLUE BUTTON
AND DOWNLOAD OR PRINT YOUR PERSONAL HEALTH RECORDS
SO YOU HAVE THEM WHEN YOU NEED THEM AND CAN SHARE THEM
WITH YOUR DOCTORS OUTSIDE OF THE VA. THAT'S HAPPENING THIS FALL.
WHAT WE'VE DONE IS WE'VE TAKEN THE INFORMATION THAT YOU WOULD
NORMALLY FILL OUT ON A CLIPBOARD WHEN YOU WENT TO SEE YOUR
HEALTH CARE PROVIDER AND TO MAKE THIS INFORMATION ACCESSIBLE TO
THEM IN AS EASILY READ EASILY TRANSFERED BUT STILL VERY SECURE
AND PRIVATE ELECTRONICM MECHANISM MEANS THAT THEY DON'T HAVE TO
COPY TELEPHONE BOOK LIKE OR ENCYCLOPEDIAS OF INFORMATION AND
SCHLECK THEM AROUND WITH THEM FROM ONE PLACE TO ANOTHER.
YOU CAN CLICK IT TO DOWNLOAD YOUR ALLERGIES TO DRUGS, WHAT
PRESCRIPTIONS YOU TAKE, WHAT DOCTORS YOU SEE. TAKE IT TO YOUR
PRIMARY CARE PHYSICIAN OR SPECIALIST OR EMERGENCY ROOM INSTEAD.
INSTEAD OF HAVING TO LAY THERE AND ANSWER QUESTIONS, YOU CAN TELL THEM
HERE IT IS IN BLACK AND WHITE. IT'S IN ORDER.
>> IN , I HAD TO GO SEE A CIVILIAN PROVIDER.
I HAD SOME EMERGENCY COMPLICATIONS FROM A SURGERY I HAD IN THE
ARMY. BECAUSE I DIDN'T HAVE THE BLUE
BUTTON AVAILABLE TO ME AT THE TIME, THE PROVIDER WAS NOT ABLE
TO TREAT ME BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T HAVE ALL OF MY MEDICAL HISTORY.
WHEN I WAS TRANSFERRING THE WHEELCHAIR I FELL AND LACERATED
MY SCALP PRETTY HEAVILY. BUT INSTEAD OF ME TRYING TO RECITE
THE MEDS, HOW OFTEN I TOOK THEM, AND WHAT I TOOK THEM FOR,
I WAS ABLE TO TAKE MY IPAD OUT, PULL MY BLUE BUTTON DATA UP
AND ACTUALLY HAND THAT TO THE NURSE AND THE PHYSICIAN.
AND SO THEY WERE ABLE TO LOOK AT THE DRUG INTERACTIONS AND
CHOOSE THE RIGHT, SAFE MED FOR ME. >> WE THOUGHT MAXIMUM THERE
MIGHT BE , INDIVIDUALS WHO WOULD WANT TO TRY THIS NEW
TECHNOLOGY. WE HAD , IN LESS THAN
THREE MONTHS. >> IF I HAVE TO HAVE EMERGENCY
SURGERY, AND THEY DON'T KNOW THAT I'M ON BLOOD THINNERS, AND
THEY START CUTTING ON ME, YOU KNOW I'M GOING BLEED OUT.
THEY NEED TO KNOW THAT I'M ON A PARTICULAR MEDICATION THAT
CAUSES MY BLOOD TO BE THIN. HAVING ACCESS TO MY MEDICAL
RECORDS, I CAN BRING THIS UP TO THEM AND I THINK THAT WOULD
ELIMINATE A LOT OF THE RISKS TO THE PATIENTS AND TO THEIR
HEALTH. EVERYBODY IN THE COUNTRY SHOULD
BE ABLE TO HAVE ACCESS TO ELECTRONIC HEALTH RECORDS WHERE
THEY CAN DOWNLOAD THEM AT ANY GIVEN TIME.
[ APPLAUSE ] I'D LIKE TO INVITE ONE OF THE
PARTICIPANTS IN THAT VIDEO, RANDY WATSON, TO COME UP AND
JOIN ME ON THE STAGE FOR A FEW MINUTES.
[ APPLAUSE ] SO RANDY, YOU HAVE NOT DONE A
LOT OF PANELS LIKE THIS BEFORE. PLEASE HAVE A SEAT.
>> NO. THIS IS MY FIRST.
>> SO I REALIZE THAT THERE ARE A LOT OF EMPTY CHAIRS BUT YOU'RE
GOING TO DO BETTER THAN CLINT EASTWOOD, I PROMISE YOU.
>> LET'S NOT EVEN GO THERE. [ LAUGHTER ]
>> SO I WANT TO ASK YOU A COUPLE OF QUESTIONS AND I WANT
YOU TO TALK A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE.
FIRST OF ALL DO YOU REMEMBER HOW WE MET?
DO YOU REMEMBER THAT? >> I MOST DEFINITELY DO.
>> YOU WANT TO TELL THE FOLKS HOW THAT HAPPENED?
>> I'M A FACEBOOK JUNKIE AND I HAVE THE DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS
AFFAIRS FACEBOOK AS MY FRIENDS. AND DURING THE COURSE OF
DIFFERENT COMMENTS THAT WERE BEING MADE BY OTHER VETERANS
AND DESIGNED BY RAYMOND FRIEDMAN ON DIFFERENT TOPICS,AND
THERE WAS ONE TOPIC I GOT INVOLVED IN CONVERSATION WITH
AND I WASN'T REALLY AGREEING WITH SOME OF THE OTHER
VETERANS. >> AND THEN, LET ME JUMP IN
BECAUSE I WANT YOU TO TALK ABOUT BLUE BUTTON IN A SECOND.
AND SO I WAS ONE OF THE MODERATORS OF THE FACEBOOK
SITE, RIGHT? >> RIGHT.
>> AND YOU DIDN'T KNOW WHO I WAS. NO. AND VETERANS ARE NOT A SHY
GROUP. AND SOMETIMES THEY CAN BE A
LITTLE BIT OVER THE TOP. BUT THERE WAS SOMETHING ABOUT
WHAT RANDY WAS SAYING THAT SOUNDED REAL AND AUTHENTIC.
SO I PULLED YOU OFF LINE AND I SAID, HERE IS MY PERSONAL
ADDRESS AND I WANT TO HELP YOU WITH YOUR PROBLEM.
AND TURN ABOUT IS FAIR PLAY, MY FRIEND.
BECAUSE I HAD A PROBLEM THAT YOU COULD HELP ME WITH.
WHICH WAS TO BECOME ONE OF THE VERY FIRST USERS OF THE BLUE
BUTTON.CORRECT. YEAH SO, THAT KIND OF WORKED OUT,
I'D SAY. RIGHT? >> IT WORKED OUT TREMENDOUSLY.
>> SO WHAT ARE YOU USING YOUR BLUE BUTTON FOR NOW?
>> OK WELL, BACK BEFORE THE BLUE BUTTON, IT WAS VERY HARD FOR ME
TO GET MY PRIVATE MEDICAL RECORDS AND GET ACCESS TO THEM
BEFORE THE BLUE BUTTON. I USED TO HAVE TO GO TO THE
HOSPITAL AND FILL OUT A BUNCH OF FORMS, WHICH WAS LENGTHY,
AND IT WOULD TAKE TIME TO GET MY MEDICAL RECORDS IN PAPER FORM,
AND IT WOULD COST QUITE A BIT FOR ME TO GET THEM.
AND THEN OVER THE COURSE OF LAST YEARS AS YOU HEARD IN
THE VIDEO, I HAVE HAD QUADRUPLE BY PASS , I HAVE HAD EIGHT HEART ATTACKS.
I HAVE GOT CONGESTIVE HEART FAILURE, I HAVE STINTS IN
THE LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY, WHICH I ONLY HAVE TWO
OF THE GRAFTS LEFT AND MOST RECENTLY, I WAS DIAGNOSED BY
MY VA DOCTORS IN MT. VERNON, MISSOURI, AS HAVING TYPE II
DIABETES. SO WITH THAT SAID, IF I HAD TO
PAY FOR ALL MY MEDICAL RECORDS, IT WOULD COST ME A BUNCH.
BECAUSE MY FILE, MY PRIVATE FILES WITH THE VA OVER THE
COURSE OF YEARS IS OVER PAGES AND THAT'S JUST ON MY
HEART DISEASE. >> BUT THAT'S A LITTLE BIT MORE
CONVENIENT NOW FOR YOU? >> RIGHT.
NOW ALL I HAVE TO DO IS GO ON THE WEBSITE, MY HEALTH VET.
CLICK THE BLUE BUTTON, AND WITHIN SECONDS, I HAVE ALL
MY DATA. >> AND ARE YOU GETTING DATA
FROM OTHER PLACES NOW TOO? >> RIGHT.
I ALSO BELONG TO NURSING.NET AND MY
MEDICARE.ORG. >> SO ONE LAST QUESTION FOR
YOU RANDY.SO YOU KNOW, WE HAD THIS CONVERSATION ON THE PHONE A
COUPLE OF TIMES. NOT EVERYBODY IS THERE.
YOU KNOW? AS TODD PARKS SAYS, A MILLION
PEOPLE, THAT'S AMAZING.AND WHAT FARZAD SAYS IS
START. ONE DOWN, LEFT TO GO.
MILLION. RIGHT?
>> RIGHT. >> WHAT WOULD YOU TELL THESE
FOLKS ABOUT THE NEED TO ASK FOR YOUR MEDICAL RECORDS?
AND TO GET THEM ELECTRONICALLY? WHAT WOULD YOU SAY?
>> I WOULD SAY THAT YOU KNOW, ONE, IT'S MY RIGHT TO HAVE IT.
TWO -- >> IT'S ABOUT FREEDOM, ISN'T
IT? >> THEY ARE MY MEDICAL RECORDS AND
WITH THE BLUE BUTTON, I HAVE GOT CONTROL OF THEM.
I HAVE GOT ALL OF THE CONTROL OF MY MEDICAL RECORDS TO MAKE
SURE THEY ARE ACCURATE AND THEY ARE WHAT I NEED AND TO HAVE AT
ANY GIVEN TIME. AND I HAVE THE iPHONE APP FOR
THE BLUE BUTTON WHERE I CAN DOWNLOAD IT AT A MOMENT'S
NOTICE ANYWHERE IN THE COUNTRY. BUT, THE BLUE BUTTON AND THE
DATA THAT YOU GET ISN'T AS GOOD AS WHAT IT SHOULD BE IF YOU
DON'T TAKE CARE OF IT YOURSELF. YOU HAVE TO LOOK OUT FOR
YOURSELF AND YOUR HEALTH IN ORDER TO GET WHAT YOU WANT AND
WHAT IS RIGHT FOR YOU. >> AND I THINK THE DIRECTOR OF
THE OFFICE OF NATIONAL COORDINATION IS GOING TO HAVE A
FEW THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THAT IN THE NEXT OR MINUTES.
SO WE'RE GOING TO -- >> I'D BE ANXIOUS TO HEAR IT.
>> I THINK WE ALL ARE. RANDY, THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR
COMING, FOR DRIVING ALL THE WAY IN AND FOR BEING HERE WITH ME TODAY.
[ APPLAUSE ] I'D LIKE TO JUST TAKE A COUPLE
OF MINUTES TO THANK MY FRIEND DR. PETER LEVIN FOR INVITING ME
HERE. AND TO DAMON DAVIS WHO HAS
BEEN EXCEPTIONALLY FRIENDLY TO US, TO LYGEIA AND I HOPE I GET
RIGHT, RICCIARDI; RICCARDI, I'M SORRY, AND THEN ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO ME
BECAUSE OF MY HEALTH AND WE HAD TO DRIVE FROM THE JOPLIN MISSOURI
AREA, I WANT TO THANK MY DAUGHTER.
[ APPLAUSE ] BECAUSE IF SHE HADN'T
TAKEN OFF WORK, I WOULDN'T HAVE BEEN ABLE TO DRIVE OUT HERE. SHE CAME AND
SHE'S MY CO-PILOT.
>> THANK YOU. [ APPLAUSE ]
>> THAT WAS AWESOME.