GlobalMed and the VA began their partnership in 2008 and since then, GlobalMed telehealth solutions have been implemented in every VA hospital across the U.S. and in some extension service centers, including teleaudiology to tackle the nearly 60%+ veterans with hearing issues.
A new telemedicine program for veterans featuring GlobalMed technology was launched in 2017 at the White House Roosevelt Room. Telehealth is also used for the VA’s mental health program and to treat the rise in poly-trauma cases to facilitate care coordination.
VA Telehealth Success
Telemedicine has shown to reduce utilization, decrease lengths of stay, and increase patient satisfaction
while resulting in avoiding approximately $1,900 in costs per patient. VA has implemented national quality, implementation, and development resources to ensure local services from more than 900 VA locations As of 2018, telehealth is available in the VA for over 50 specialty areas of care.
VA Telehealth by the Numbers Fiscal Year 2016
- The number of Veterans receiving care via VA’s telehealth services grew approximately 4%
- VA provided care to more than 702,000 patients via the three telehealth modalities. This
amounted to over 2.17 million telehealth episodes of care. - Forty-five percent 45% of these Veterans lived in rural areas, and may otherwise have had limited
access to VA healthcare. - More than 307,000 Veterans used Clinical Video Telehealth
- More than 150,000 Veterans used Home Telehealth
- More than 304,000 Veterans used Store-and-Forward Telehealth
VA Telehealth Outcomes
Improved patient outcomes resulting in reduced utilization of inpatient care in FY16
- Veterans enrolled in Home Telehealth for non-institutional care needs and chronic care
management had a 59% decrease in VA bed days of care and a 31% decrease in VA hospital
admissions. - Mental Health services provided to Veterans via Clinical Video Telehealth (TeleMental Health)
reduced Acute Psychiatric VA bed days of care by 39% and a 32% decrease in VA hospital
admissions.
