VA launches Blue Button PHR contest

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is offering a $50,000 prize for the first team that builds a personal health record (PHR) using the Blue Button download format and installs it on the websites of 25,000 physicians across America. The competition, sponsored by the VA Innovation Initiative, is open to all U.S. organizations and individuals. The aim of the competition is to ensure that all veterans, including those who receive care from non-VA doctors and hospitals, can download their personal health data using the Blue Button.