In fact, more than half of the rural Veterans enrolled in VA services are age 65 or older. The lack of accessibility to health care and specialty services is a problem for this population, which has a greater burden of chronic conditions and a greater chance of dying a preventable death, according to research.
On average, rural patients travel 30 minutes for primary care and about 90 minutes for specialty care. Older adults with cognitive decline, motor dysfunction, and medically complex conditions that increase their risk for falls and car accidents may place themselves in danger if forced to drive to an evaluation.
In the study, the two groups did not differ in age, level of education, or gender make-up. However, a special formula showed the telehealth group was at a much greater socioeconomic disadvantage. The average reported travel time for those examined at the clinic was 28 minutes, compared to 38 minutes for the in-person group.
The difference may have been related to increased traffic density. As of January , about patients had been seen through the clinic at VA Bedford. That figure, Kraft notes, would be much larger when adding in those who have received clinic-to-home evaluations since COVID began.
Most of the evaluations in the past year have been clinic-to-home, she says. However, her clinic pivoted when the pandemic began and started doing clinic-to-home or home-to-home evaluations, with the examiner located at a VA facility or at home and the patient at home. Weak or non-existent internet connections, background noise and distractions, and the inability to watch the patient perform paper-based tasks that involve writing or drawing can negatively impact the quality of the evaluation to the home.
But the patient would not have the inconvenience of driving a long distance to get here. We provided some additional neuropsychology-specific training to the TCTs so they could be better prepared for teleneuropsychology appointments. They allow us to administer tests that involve showing stimulus materials or doing tasks that involve paper and pencil.
There's the massive electronic health record modernization , of course, but also everything from a new National Artificial Intelligence Institute to an Apple Health Records rollout to a project focused on tablet-based telehealth. Indeed, telehealth continues to be a major priority for the VA. It's already responsible for the biggest telemedicine infrastructure in the nation, and use of its telehealth services is surging.
The sprawling provider network continues to seek new ways to deliver better care to its members where they live, in their communities and their homes. Neil C. Evans, chief officer in the VA's Office Of Connected Care, will speak about some lessons learned as the department, a longtime health IT leader, works to make more progress with its connected care initiatives.
With more than , employees at VA Medical Centers and 1, community-based clinical settings, and caring more than 9 million veterans each year, the challenges and opportunities for technology-enabled care delivery at VA are clear. In Orlando on March 10, Evans will describe how the agency is embracing its mandate to broaden access to telehealth and make community care available to more veterans.
He'll show how VA is reconfiguring its systems to increase patient engagement across its network, and will offer some perspective on what's worked — and what hasn't — in its care innovations. Evans recently answered some questions from Healthcare IT News about how technology is helping VA make big improvements in patient access, engagement and experience. In addition, telehealth allows the VA to more efficiently provide clinical expertise across the entire health care system.
VA is committed to increasing access to care for all enrolled veterans and has placed special emphasis on those in rural and remote locations. Similarly, how has technology-enabled patient engagement improved across the VA in recent years?
VA was an early adopter of digital health tools and remains a leader within US health care in leveraging technology to enhance patient engagement. For example, the Annie App — an automated protocol-based two-way text messaging system allows for personalized texts that help veterans with self-care. VA is piloting a health chat feature as well. These digital tools are allowing veterans to more actively understand their health data, to better communicate with VA clinical teams and to engage more productively as they navigate their individual health journeys.
Do you have any numbers indicating how many more veterans are using tech to connect with their providers? In FY19, VA provided more than 2. Telehealth is available for over 50 specialty areas of care. Get set up. While the veteran population is resilient, it is also considered a vulnerable and underserved population. Telemedicine technology is frequently used for follow-up visits, management of chronic conditions, medication management, specialist consultation and a host of other clinical services that can be provided remotely via secure video and audio connections.
You might be interested: How to invest in nikola. Common issues included staffing shortages, a lack of training and poor provider interest, a lack of interest from leadership, as well as competition for time and resources from other telehealth programs. Connectivity also played a role in the program.
Connectivity was also a barrier for those living in remote regions with poor access to the internet. At InTouch Health, we know that issues such as adequate provider and staff training, along with reliable technology, and a high connection success rate are critical to the success of a virtual care program. While the analysis shows the program was a success in terms of connecting veterans to providers, more can be done to support the usability of these devices.
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