The Maine Rural Health Research Center in the Cutler Institute for Health and Social Policy http://usm.maine.edu/muskie/cutler/mrhc has initiated a research study titled “Assessing HIT Strategies to Improve Access for Rural Veterans”. Rural veterans face unique barriers to healthcare including insufficient communication and coordination of care across multiple settings both within and outside of the Veteran’s Administration.
Programs in Maine, Montana, and Alaska have received grants to use health IT to expand and integrate services including mental health services for rural veterans. The research undertaken will consist of studying the rural healthcare technology available to veterans in these states. Researchers will also identify best practices and barriers for implementing rural HIT initiatives that could help develop future strategies in this field.
The Department of Veteran Affairs in their Office of Rural Health (ORH) www.ruralhealth.va.gov studies and pilots innovative programs and has initiated the use of telehealth technology to deliver critical healthcare services.
The Veterans Rural Health Resource Centers www.ruralhealth.va.gov/resource-centers in Salt Lake City, Iowa City, and Gainesville serve as on-the-ground hubs for program study and have provided initial support to more than 1,870 local programs enabling more than 1.6 million rural veterans to benefit from the projects.
Some of the technology programs to treat veterans includes:
- The National Teleradiology Program enables small rural VA facilities to remotely access a radiologist 24/7
- Telehealth helps care for rural veterans with HIV and with multiple sclerosis
- Telemental health clinics care for rural native American veterans
- Telephone-based cardiac rehabilitation is provided
Several pieces of legislation have been introduced on Capitol Hill to upgrade technology to help veterans receive faster care. On January 14th, Representatives Seth Moulton (D-MA) and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) co-introduced the “Faster Care for Veterans Act (H.R 4352) designed to improve care by using 21st century technology. This bill would enable patients to self-schedule appointments from their smart phones or computers with the click of a button.
Another bill introduced last fall, by Senators Joni Ernst (R-IA) and Mazie Hirono (D-HI) titled the “Veterans E-Health & Telemedicine Support Act of 2015” or the (VETS Act) would expand telehealth services provided by the VA. The VETS Act would allow qualified VA health professionals to operate across state lines and conduct telehealth services including mental healthcare treatments.