“When a Veteran uses a mobile phone app to connect to U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) information or services, they deserve a fast, efficient, and secure experience. This element of trust is why guidance for developing digital apps for Veterans is tied to VA’s Ethics Principles for Access to and Use of Veteran Data framework.”
“To safeguard Veterans’ data, VA’s Office of Information and Technology (OIT) is a leader in agency adherence to VA’s nine Ethics Principles. Drew Myklegard, OIT’s Executive Director, Product Engineering Division, spearheaded using the framework in 2019, after it was created by the Data Ethics Work Group led by Dr. Kenneth Berkowitz and the Veterans Health Administration’s National Center for Ethics in Health through the VA Interoperability Leadership (VAIL) team. Dr. Helga Rippen, VA’s Chief Interoperability and Veteran Access Officer, leads the VAIL team. Built with input from Veterans, the framework of ethics principles for access to and use of Veterans’ data sets data management and privacy standards for VA staff and partners to follow.”
“Among VA’s partners are companies developing iOS and Android mobile phone apps for Veterans. Every app they make that connects to VA data has to use VA’s Lighthouse Application Programming Interface (API) Platform to link with VA. Therefore, VAIL’s Data Ethics Work Group closely worked with OIT, Mr. Myklegard, and his teams to implement the ethics principles into Lighthouse API Platform business processes.”
“’OIT is moving this effort forward in an amazing way and the Lighthouse API is a prime example,’ Dr. Rippen says. ‘Vendors who build interfaces to the VA, review and implement development guidelines tied directly to our principles. We serve Veterans first and this clearly demonstrates leadership’s commitment to our framework…'” Read the full article here.
Source: DigitalVA: VA’s Commitment to Ethics Safeguards Veterans’ Data, Including Mobile Apps – May 12, 2021. DigitalVA.
