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Exposure Ed

Average: 3.5 (85 votes)

Introduction

Exposure Ed delivers information on military-related exposures to health care providers.

Veterans may have been exposed to a range of chemical, physical, and environmental hazards during service, and providers can use this tool to have an informed discussion with Veterans about their individual exposure-related concerns and potential impacts on their health.

Providers can also access information on exposure-related programs and benefits offered by the Department of Veterans Affairs and help Veterans assess their participation eligibility. This application should not be used for diagnostic purposes.

This tool was created by the Veteran's Health Administration - the nation's leading provider of Veterans' health care.

Downloadable Materials

Training Materials

Getting to Know the App

The Exposure Ed App Home screen displays six icons: Exposures, Date & Location, Conflicts, PACT Act Benefits (which links to information about benefits under the PACT Act), Veteran Exposure Team – Health Outcomes Military Exposures (VET-HOME) (which provides information about obtaining an environmental health registry through telehealth), and Provider Tips. Tap the top three icons to find information about exposures organized by the type of exposure (such as Agent Orange or extreme heat), the date and location of a Veteran’s service, or the conflict in which he or she served.

Exposure Ed Home Screen Capture

Accessing Provider Tips

Select the Provider Tips icon to view the following information: Questions to Ask the Veteran, Create a Care Plan, Communication Tips, Toxic Exposure Screen, and Useful Resources. Tap each option to see more.

Exposure Ed Provider Tips Screen Capture

Viewing Announcements

The top left corner of Exposure Ed App Home screen displays a bell icon. Tap the icon to preview current military exposures announcements. Selecting an icon within this screen will take you directly to the VA website to view the entire announcement.

Exposure Ed Announcements Screen Capture

Creating Notes

The Notes option lets you select and save information from the app to share with your patient. Tap the Add to NOTE toggle button that appears at the bottom of the information you would like to save. A pop-up notification will appear informing you that a note has been created, which you can find in the Notes section, accessible from the bottom of the app. The note shows you the content you saved and the date and time you saved it.

Exposure Ed Creating Notes Screen Capture

Finishing Notes

Once you have finished notes, select the note(s) and tap Print Preview to generate a PDF from which you can choose to email, print or delete.

Exposure Ed Finishing Notes Screen Capture

Menu Screen

The Menu Screen contains a VA Facility Locator, links to military exposure websites providing resources with information about exposures and programs for Veterans, a comprehensive and location-based list of Environmental Health Coordinators/Leads, Tutorials, information about the app such as the End User License Agreement (EULA) and a Help / Feedback section.

Exposure Ed Menu Screen Capture

VA Facility Locator

Use the VA Facility Locator to find different types of local facilities. You can find VA resources such as medical centers and clinics, locations for benefits, and Vet Centers. The locator can also help you find other community resources such as emergency care and pharmacies.

Exposure Ed VA Facility Locator Screen Capture

FAQs

What are exposures?

For the purpose of this app, exposures are environmental conditions Veterans may have experienced that potentially impact their health.

Who should use the Exposure Ed App and why?

If you are a health care provider who cares for Veterans, you should use the Exposure Ed App for comprehensive information about exposures and as a guide for discussing exposure-related concerns with your patients. Veterans may have been exposed to a range of chemical, physical and environmental hazards during service, which could impact their health or provide context for health issues they might be experiencing. With the Exposure Ed App, you can find information on exposures as well as exposure-related programs and benefits offered by VA, and help Veterans determine whether they are eligible for those benefits and programs.

Do I need to be a VA health care provider to use the Exposure Ed App?

No. The app is available for VA and non-VA Providers.

What features does the Exposure Ed App offer?

The Exposure Ed App provides extensive information about various exposures, current announcements related to military exposures, a Notes feature that allows you to save and share information, the ability to search for VA facilities and Environmental Health Coordinators/Leads, information to help identify specific types of exposures, tips for talking with your patient about exposure-related concerns, links to helpful resources, an app tutorial, the ability to provide feedback about the app and other resources to learn more about or get help for the app.

How do I find an exposure I want to learn about, and what information is available?

There are three ways to learn more about exposures outlined on the app’s Home screen: searching by exposure, date and location or the exposures commonly associated with a specific conflict. Once you have found the exposure you want to learn more about, you will see a description or definition of the exposure; information about who might have been exposed based on location, decade, conflict and how someone could have been exposed; health implications to consider; information about VA policies and programs, including how to apply for benefits; and links to other useful resources about the exposure, including a Notes section where you will have the option to create a note about the exposure and share it with your patient. If you do not see your exposure listed, you can search for it by typing in the exposure name in the search field, and a list of matching results will appear.

What is the Notes feature, and how do I use it?

The Notes feature allows you to save information about an exposure, program or policy and share it with your patient via email or printing, providing them with educational references and helpful resources. As you are learning about an exposure, you may see the option to add the information you are viewing to a note. Tap the Add to NOTE toggle button, and a pop-up notification box will appear informing you the new note has been created. To access your existing notes, tap Notes at the bottom of the screen. You will see a list of current and finished notes. If you select a current note, you will have the options to finish or delete it. When you select a finished note, you will have the option to print preview, which generates a shareable PDF. You can delete individual notes, or you can delete all of your notes at the same time.

My Veteran patient is requesting that I share notes with them via text message, is that an option?

Due to different mobile device’s’ operating systems, there are limitations when it comes to sharing the notes PDF via text. The PDF can only be shared via Messages from an Apple device (iPhone, iPad, Mac) to another Apple device. If you would like to send notes between Apple and non-Apple devices, you will need to use email or another method.

What is the VA Facility Locator feature, and how do I use it?

The VA Facility Locator allows you to find facilities closest to your patients that best fit their needs, simply by using common GPS functionality available on your mobile device. To use the feature, tap Menu, and tap VA Facility Locator. Tap My Location, and search by enabling your mobile device’s Location Services or typing in a specific address. The app will automatically open a list of provider types to choose from such as Urgent Care, Community Providers, Pharmacies, Cemeteries and more.! Tap the desired provider type, and a facility list will appear with options based on distance from address, providing the facility’s name, address, phone numbers and a link to the provider’s website.

What information is covered in the Provider Tips section, and how do I access it?

The Provider Tips section provides you with questions to ask your Veteran patients about exposures, an overview for how to create a care plan, tips for communicating effectively and discussing challenging topics with your patients, information on Toxic Exposure Screening and links to other useful resources. To access the Provider Tips section, tap Home, and tap Provider Tips.

Help

For help with this app, contact the OCC Help Desk at:
Call: 866-651-3180
Hours: 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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