Pathways to Publishing

OCC App Publishing Options

Connected Care provides several places to publish an app depending on the audience or security restrictions. Connected Care manages the VA App Store, the Launchpad apps, companion apps to the VA App Store, and the Patient Video Tablets (PVTs). The request will be reviewed, if additional information is needed, you will be contacted.

VA App Store

Connected Care manages the VA App Store. Current app intake allows for access to 40-plus apps specifically created for Veterans and their providers. The VA App Store is a "one-stop shop" for Veterans and VA providers to find VA apps created jsut for them, canceling the need to go to commercial app stores. 

Each app on the VA  App Store has a content detail page that includes an app description, instructions for signing in (if needed), screenshots, training materials, and a way to provide feedback to VA.

Connected Care PMs can submit an app for consideration through the VA Mobile App Intake page (VA Network access required).

VA Launchpad for Veterans 

Connected Care manages the VA Launchpad for Veterans, an external companion app to the VA App Store tailored to Veterans and their caregivers audiences to find and use VA apps. The VA Launchpad for Veterans organizes VA apps and capabilities into categories to help Veterans and their caregivers more easily search for and access the tools VA has made available to them. 

Connected Care PMs can submit an app for consideration through the VA Mobile App Intake page (VA Network access required).

VA Staff LaunchPad

Connected Care manages the VA Staff Launchpad, an internal companion app to the VA  App Store, containing VA iOS and web apps tailored for VA care teams. Android apps do not work on the VA network. The content detail pages are passed from the VA App Store to the Launchpad apps. The app organizes apps into categories.

The VA Staff Launchpad is available in the VA App Catalog on your government-furnished equipment (GFE) iPhone or iPad.

Connected Care PMs can submit an app for consideration through the VA Mobile App Intake page (VA Network access required).

Patient Video Tablets (PVTs)

Connected Care manages the Patient Video Tablets (PVTs),a locked-down internal tablet for Veterans. Any app — including third-party or non-VA, publicly available apps —  requested to be installed on PVTs requires approval by the Tablet Workgroup and final sign-off by Dr. Heyworth. Once approved, these apps will be available for install on PVTs either by auto-install or on-demand. When intaking apps for PVTs, the scope of apps presented to Veterans' PVTs is determined, i.e. all PVTs (eg. VVC), specific PVT-identified use cases, or individually approved PVTs.

Publishing Apps Outside of OCC

If you wish to publish your app on commercial app stores, VA provides a VA App Catalog as well as a process that considers the audience and security restrictions of the app. The apps on the commercial app stores are considered informational or educational apps because they do not require a VA network connection nor require interfacing with any VA network systems or databases. Informational or educational apps do not provide personal information or private health information about the user.  

VA App Catalog

This app intake process is outside of OCC. This process is managed and supported by the Mobile & Endpoint Engineering Team. The VA approved apps that reside within the VA App Catalog, include both the use of interaction with VA Data as well as non-PII/PHI Interaction of VA Data. To request an application to be added within the VA App Catalog, a security assessment of the requested applications will be required. These applications are only available for Enterprise Mobile Management (EMM) Enrolled GFE mobile devices.

ESE Mobile App Intake (VA Network access required).

Google Play

The app intake process for Google Play is outside conducted of Connected Care. Read through and follow the directions at https://wiki.mobilehealth.va.gov/display/PDFMA/Google+Play+Store+SOP. Please note that all required items and all first-time items mentioned in each SOP are required to get the app into Google Play. If any of the required items are not provided, then Google Play will not make the app available for testing or production use.

Apple's App Store

The app intake process for the Apple App Store is outside of Connected Care. Read through and follow the directions at https://wiki.mobilehealth.va.gov/display/PDFMA/Apple+App+Store+SOP. Please note that all required items and all first-time items mentioned in each SOP are required in order to get the app initially into Apple's App Store. ​​​​​​​If any of the required items are not provided, then Apple's App Store will not make the app available for testing or production use.