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To better meet the needs of Veterans, their families and caregivers, the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is giving 139 VA Medical Center (VAMC) websites a much-needed upgrade.
The problem: VAMC websites proved to be confusing to navigate
After conducting research with more than 350 Veterans over six months, VA learned that Veterans were finding VA Medical Center websites difficult to navigate, that sites contained outdated or missing information, and that the sites didn’t streamline their search for or access to VA-provided health care services.
The solution: Revamped websites that give Veterans easy access to their health care services
Using human-centered design and agile development practices, the Office of Information and Technology’s (OIT) Office of the Chief Technology Officer is collaborating with the Veterans Health Administration’s (VHA) Office of Digital Media to redesign and build new VA Medical Center websites. Check out the video below to see how the new websites provide what Veterans, their families, and caregivers need to prepare for a visit, get care, and connect to their VA health care team.
The modernized websites contain a wide range of new features, including:
- Directions to main VAMCs and associated clinics
- Telephone numbers
- Parking and transportation information
- Hospital and clinic hours
- Patient registration
The upgraded websites guide Veterans to what they want via patient-friendly language for services and processes. The modernized VA Medical Center websites are also designed mobile-first, making sure that the large number of mobile users can easily use these sites with a single tap of their phones.
“At VA, our number one priority is delivering excellent customer service to our Veterans,” says Charles Worthington, VA’s Chief Technology Officer (CTO).
“The re-designed websites are just a small part of VA’s larger Digital Modernization Strategy. It has been incredible to see OIT and VHA come together and deliver creative solutions to recent problems tied to the mismatch between user expectations and VA’s legacy communication platforms.
The upgraded VAMC websites are a great example of VA’s commitment to using new technologies to improve Veteran access to VA services,” Mr. Worthington said.
More than 100 VA Medical Center websites have been upgraded with the remaining sites expected to be launched by the end of the year. As the new sites are fully deployed, VHA field staff are undergoing extensive training in re-writing and updating website content as well as service details.
The launch of the new VA Medical Center websites is just one of the ways VA continues to reaffirm its commitment to providing Veterans with high-quality customer experiences.
