Substantial growth in telehealth and key patient engagement tools
WASHINGTON DC: The U.S. Department of veterans affairs has been making major investments in innovating its technology and infrastructure in recent years.
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.
At HIMSS20, Dr. 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 325,000 employees at 150 VA Medical Centers and 1,400 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.
