VA telehealth services reached 690K veterans in FY14

Laura Pedulli | | Health Exec | Telehealth

In fiscal year (FY) 2014, the Department of Veterans Affairs’ national telehealth programs served more than 690,000 veterans, which is approximately 12 percent of the overall veteran population, reports the agency.

These veterans, of which more than half reside in rural areas, participated in about 2 million telehealth visits. Currently 44 clinical specialties are offered through VA’s telehealth programs. For example, the Miami VA schedules nearly 90 telehealth visits per week for dermatology, eye exams, the women veterans program, podiatry, mental health and other clinical specialties, according to the agency.

The agency’s teleaudiology also is increasing in popularity, especially as many veterans struggle with hearing loss. Program participation has grown from about 1,016 veterans in FY 2011 to 10,589 in FY 2014.

“A brick-and-mortar facility is not the only option for healthcare. We are exploring how we can more efficiently and effectively deliver healthcare services to better serve our veterans and improve their lives. Telehealth is one of those areas we have identified for growth,” said VA Secretary Robert A. McDonald in a statement.

Laura Pedulli

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