Vista medical records

[Diz32548]

I read something a while back about requesting a Vista cd from the VA? It's supposed to contain all notes in a patient's records and not just what is shown on Blue Button. I would like to get a copy of all my medical/administrative notes, to include interdepartmental communications between doctors. I cannot find the forum/thread where I read this before. Can someone point me in the right direction of that thread or how to go about getting all of my records please (this is something different than a C file)? Thanks so much for your help!

[Vync]

@Diz32548 Welcome to Hadit! How did you go about requesting the CD you received previously? I'm interested in my same information that you are trying to obtain.

When I requested mine, I filled out a signed release through my VAMC's Release of Information Office. Of course, what I received was exactly what you described. It was just the same records that were available from Blue Button.

Perhaps you could submit a privacy act request and additionally state the extra records you would like to receive.

Another option might be to call a neighboring VAMC's Release of Information Office in a different part of your state or perhaps a completely different state. Ask them how to obtain that information and see what they say.

Edited July 22, 2020 by Vync (see edit history)

[Diz32548]

I've never requested one before. I've only read about requesting one.

This other forum talks about it some, but I couldn't really tell how or what to request and from who. It's not the original article I read, but it hits on some good points in both the article and comments.

 If anyone can decipher how to get all of this info, I'd appreciate the help in knowing how and what to request. My brain doesn't work as well as it used to.

https://www.disabledveterans.org/2015/04/06/va-misleading-veterans-healthevet-medical-records/#comment-73081

[Vync]

I have requested my medical records a number of times over the years. Initially, they would print paper copies only. When they finally got the ability to create CDs, the disc contained a single text file. Later, it was an encrypted CD containing a PDF file that looked just like what you could download from Blue Button. I haven't requested a disc in a few years because I have been pulling everything down from the web site. Blue Button used to let you download all dates, but I think they changed it so it only goes back just a few years.

What is described in the linked comment sounds exactly like what I received, which coincidentally was the same that I got from Blue Button (but for all dates). Yes, you can open up the Adobe Acrobat PDF document and search for any text value. However, what I have been able to obtain did not contain any additional internal communications or other content outside of the records system.

If you had any radiology imaging done, you would likely need to talk with the radiology records office. At my VAMC, you sign the release and they will create one or more discs containing all of your medical imaging like X-rays, CT-scans, MRI's, etc... The discs contain a viewer application (usually DICOM format). I was able to download the same details from Blue Button, but those files did not contain the radiology report (found that in the regular records)