VA Adds New Appointment App to Telehealth Program

Last  year, 700,000 veterans made approximately 2 million telehealth appointments at Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals and other facilities, the agency said. To enhance access to care, the VA rolled out two new initiatives.

Appointments  at Hand

In an event that included President Donald Trump and Veterans Affairs Secretary David Shulkin, MD, the VA debuted an application designed to make it easier for veterans to make appointments at veterans’ facilities and via telehealth. The Veteran Appointment Request application, similar to that used in the private sector, highlights the improvement of care transition between the Department of Defense and the VA. The app is part of the VA’s effort to speed care for nearly 7 million patients.

VA Video Connect

The VA also demonstrated its VA Video Connect, which Shulkin said has been in development and trials with more than 300 VA clinicians at 76 hospitals. The telehealth services will be available to patients nationwide.

The initiative, which started under the Obama administration, join other apps developed by the VA. These include Ask a Pharmacists, Caring4WomenVeterans, ACT Coach Concussion Coach, Prolonged Exposure Therapy, and others.

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Brad Ericson

Director of Publishing at AAPC

Brad Ericson, MPC, CPC, COSC, is a seasoned healthcare writer and editor.He directed publishing at AAPC for nearly 12 years and worked at Ingenix for 13 years and Aetna Health Plans prior to that. He has been writing and publishing about healthcare since 1979. He received his Bachelor's in Journalism from Idaho State University and his Master's of Professional Communication degree from Westminster College of Salt Lake City.

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