Veteran trust in (89.0%) and satisfaction with (91.9%) VA telehealth have increased to new heights for the fifth consecutive year. Telehealth is breaking barriers to care by meeting Veterans where they are without regard to distance or location.
These achievements are making a significant difference in the lives of Veterans. Telehealth Awareness Week, Sept. 14-20, underscores our commitment to ensuring Veterans have access to high-quality care, no matter where they are.
“VA is committed to connecting Veterans to world-class health care and benefits,” said Dr. Kevin Galpin, executive director of VA Telehealth Services. “This week, we celebrate the VA staff and providers who have worked tirelessly to make VA telehealth an outstanding care option for the nation’s Veterans.”
Telehealth from anywhere
VA offers many ways for Veterans to access telehealth.
VA Video Connect, VA’s secure videoconferencing app, allows Veterans to have private video visits with their providers from the comfort of home or while traveling. This fiscal year, more than 1.9 million Veterans have participated in more than 10 million video visits through VA Video Connect.
Veterans also have access to 60+ apps designed to help them improve their health outside a traditional clinical setting. VA Health Chat, VA: Health and Benefits and MOVE! Coach are tools VA created to help Veterans manage their conditions in collaboration with their care teams. And with My HealtheVet on VA.gov, Veterans can now manage their VA prescriptions, appointments and medical records in the same place they manage their other VA benefits and services.
See a full list of apps by visiting the VA App Store.
Home telehealth
VA’s Remote Patient Monitoring – Home Telehealth (RPM–HT) program allows Veterans to manage chronic conditions and share critical health data like vital signs with their care teams from home—in real time. This supports timely interventions and a closer connection between Veterans and their VA care teams.
For more information about the RPM–HT program, visit the Understanding Remote Patient Monitoring webpage.
Clinic-to-clinic telehealth
Veterans can connect with VA specialists from around the country without traveling long distances, thanks to clinic-to-clinic video telehealth. Asynchronous Telehealth uses technology to securely collect health information—including images, sounds and videos—at a local clinic and then send it to a specialist at another location.
For more information about clinic-to-clinic telehealth services, visit the VA Telehealth Services In the Clinic webpage.
Bridging the digital divide
Veterans who don’t have an internet-enabled device or who are otherwise unable to access the internet can request a Digital Divide Consult to get help obtaining the resources they need.
VA also offers ATLAS (Accessing Telehealth through Local Area Stations) sites to provide Veterans with local access to telehealth services. ATLAS sites offer comfortable, private spaces for Veterans to conduct video visits with VA specialists and care teams.
Getting started
To explore how telehealth can fit into your care plan, talk to your VA provider or visit the VA Telehealth Services webpage.