My HealtheVet VA Admissions and Discharges
Admission is the process that occurs when you are treated at a VA hospital and require an overnight stay to continue treatment or care. This is also called an inpatient stay. A health care provider advises if an overnight stay should occur. There are many reasons for admission but it is typically for medical/nursing/mental health treatment, necessary medical observation, rehabilitation, or surgery. Admissions can extend beyond one day.
Discharge is the process that occurs at the end of the hospital stay when you leave for another destination. This includes but is not limited to home, non-VA facilities, special VA health care units, extended leave of absence, or death.
VA Admissions and Discharges: Before you are discharged, your health care team reviews and summarizes your hospital stay. Your VA Admissions and Discharges report includes the overview of this episode of care. This includes your diagnosis, results of lab tests and procedures, medications, and your condition when you left the hospital. It also provides information on future plans for tests, procedures, medications and follow-up appointments.
Your VA Admissions and Discharges report is a vital tool for sharing information. It also guides the health care team(s) who will care for you after your hospital stay. Talk with your health care team about your VA Admissions and Discharges report. Let them know if you have questions about what is listed. Understanding the information in your VA Admissions and Discharges report helps you to partner with your health care team and take charge of your health.
You can use the VA Blue Button to view, print, or download your VA Admissions and Discharges report. This information can be shared with your caregiver and/or non-VA provider. This may help them better understand your health.
Visit the VA Admissions and Discharges Frequently Asked Questions. This site has questions and answers that may help you understand more about the feature and how it can help you monitor your health.
General Information
Some information that comes from your VA health record may not be presented right away in My HealtheVet or your VA Blue Button. This is because your information may first need to be reviewed by a member of your VA health care team. Also, if needed, this gives your provider time to discuss your results with you before you view them in My HealtheVet.
Discharge summaries are available 36 hours after they are completed. If you have any questions about your information please visit the Frequently Asked Questions. or contact your VA health care team.
VA Admissions and Discharges is a section of the My HealtheVet Personal Health Record found under the VA Blue Button section. To view your VA Admissions and Discharges you must:
*To get a My HealtheVet Premium account, you will need to go through authentication. VA verifies a Veterans' identity by this process. This is done before allowing access to their VA health record. To learn more, go to: Upgrading your My HealtheVet account through In-Person or Online Authentication.
Be a Veteran enrolled at a VA health care facility
Be a registered as a VA Patient in My HealtheVet
Have a My HealtheVet Premium* account
Having a complete health record gives your health care team information about you that may help them better meet your health care needs. If you have an admission to a non-VA facility, you should add this information to My HealtheVet. Within the Health History section are several logs that help you keep track of your health records. You can also use the VA Blue Button to view, print or download information from your Health History section.
Hold Periods for VA information
Resources
Your Discharge Planning Checklist can help you prepare for leaving the hospital, nursing home or other setting in the future.
Updated June 18, 2020
