Healthy Living Messages

• Be Physically Active
• Eat Wisely
• Strive for a Healthy Weight
• Get Recommended Screening Tests & Immunizations
• Be Involved in Your Health Care
• Be Tobacco Free
• Limit Alcohol
• Manage Stress
• Be Safe
  

HealthPOWER! Prevention News - Spring 2010 (VHEI)

The Veterans Health Library
Rose Mary Pries, DrPH
Program Manager
Veterans Health Education and Information

Through the VHA Preventive Care Program, the Office of Veterans Health Education and Information (VHEI) plans to develop a Veterans Health Library. The Library will support VHA’s transformation to Veteran-centered care in several ways. It will provide a consistent, comprehensive source of health education and information to Veterans and family members. Library topics will span the continuum of VHA healthcare delivery and will be available to Veterans and family members in the community and in all VHA health care delivery settings, no matter where a Veteran receives care.

Because the Library will also be available to family members, this information will help them support the Veteran’s active involvement in health care while reinforcing the actions needed to promote health or to manage chronic or acute conditions.

The Library’s educational resources will be available in print, electronic, and audiovisual formats as well as VHA-approved social media (e.g., texting, blogging, twitter) and other emerging technologies. Development of the Library’s content will take existing resources such as My HealtheVet and iMed Consent into account.

The Library will link to VHA’s Computerized Patient Record System (CPRS) for two important purposes. First, it will make it easy for providers and clinicians to integrate Library resources and information into the health education they provide in either face-to-face or virtual clinical encounters. This will be especially important in the Primary Care Patient-Centered Medical Home as use of telephone care or secure messaging increases. Second, the link with CPRS will also make it easier for clinicians to document all health education services they provide. This will permit clinicians to build on the health education provided in previous clinical encounters and to meet The Joint Commission standards regarding documentation of patient education

The Library content will be developed and formatted to take into account Veterans’ health literacy needs. It will also accommodate their physical and visual impairments.

The Library will provide Veterans and family members with health education and information to help them:

• Promote their health and well-being.
• Prepare for clinical encounters.
• Understand their conditions and treatment plans.
• Communicate effectively with their health care team members.
• Actively partner with their provider and health care team members.
• Share in health care decision making.
• Self-monitor their conditions and guide their self-management.
• Prepare for transitions in care.

The Veterans Health Library will be a tangible commitment to VHA’s Principle 5 of Veteran-centered care, to "empower Veterans through education and information."

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