VA pioneering telehealth model for providers everywhere
March 03, 2020
The Department of Veterans Affairs has undergone a dramatic modernization in recent years, as it has been updating several of its technologies in clinics and hospitals. Many of these changes have increased patient engagement and, in the case of telehealth, have modeled effective new trends in care all over the country.
Telehealth and telemedicine are a relatively new trend in healthcare in which patients can be seen by a medical professional remotely, through a computer or smartphone app. VA clinics started embracing telehealth a few years ago when telehealth kiosks were introduced in VFW and American Legion posts in more remote areas of the country. These kiosks are now being expanded to select Wal-Mart locations too. The VA also uses an app called Video Connect to conduct virtual visits.
The VA now has the largest telehealth network in the country and patient engagement is rising. From 2018 to 2019, the number of patients accessing telehealth went up 17 percent. Virtual visits through VA Video Connect rose a whopping 235 percent that year.
The James E. Van Zandt VA Medical Center in Altoona, Pennsylvania recently opened the first telehealth cancer clinic in the country, partnering with the VA Pittsburgh Medical Center. Through this technology, the physicians in Pittsburg can offer patients in Altoona over one hundred miles away routine cancer care and chemotherapy treatments without needing to travel.
Cancer is a growing issue for veterans. Every year there are 40,000 new cancer cases reported among veterans and treatment can become a burden for people who live away from expert facilities or have mobility, financial or other issues that make traveling to receive care difficult. Using telehealth to bring better healthcare to more cancer patients can help create better outcomes overall.
Organizations in the private sector hope to implement telehealth services and look to the VA for how to use this innovative technology. Expanding telehealth offerings and broadening access for more patients is a top priority for VA officials.